The week before Ash Wednesday, again back in 1989, I first heard about the event in Ireland known as Pancake Tuesday. Even in the States, Fat Tuesday was foreign to me, so I was double clueless. As the big day approached, I finally figured out that it was a day of eating indulgence before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent). However, a big stack of old fashioned American pancakes was in my head – then I arrived home on my first Pancake Tuesday. The yummy smell of pancakes filled the air; however, they were crêpes! And we filled these crêpes with any sweet we could find – from marshmallows to chocolate chips to strawberries. The entire ritual was a self-indulgent delight.

Below is my recipe (but adapted a bit from Clodagh McKenna): simple, quick and delicious. And of course add in whatever sweets you are craving.

Ingredients

• ½ heaping cup of all-purpose flour
• 2 organic, cage free eggs
• 1 cup of organic milk
• 1 teaspoon of organic orange extract
• 1 tablespoon of canola oil for the pan
• a spoonful of butter (melted)
• sugar
• 1 lemon
• Cookie butter (or Speculoos, available at Trader Joe’s)

Put the flour in a bowl and make a well for the 2 eggs. Crack the eggs into the well. Using a whisk, blend the eggs and flour a bit. Slowly add in the milk, whisking as you go. After the mixture is smooth, with no lumps, cover and place in the fridge for a few hours.

When the mixture is ready, heat a non-stick pan with a small amount of oil. Be careful to keep the pan from getting too hot (about medium high heat. Number 6 on the dial is what I used).

Take out the mixture and whisk it a bit. Add in a small amount of melted butter (about a spoonful) to the mixture. Next, whisk in 1 teaspoon of orange extract.

Using a pitcher (for easy pouring), pour a thin coating into the heated pan. Be careful – it needs to be fairly thin. Swirl it around a little so you coat the pan if need be. Cook for about 1 or 2 minutes.

Here is the tricky part – since not all non-stick pans are created equal – after it cooks fully on one side, and it slides easily in the pan, flip it all in one go (commit and it works). I admit my non-stick pan was not great, so I used a very thin metal spatula and flipped it carefully over in one piece for the first few. I added a bit more oil to the pan after cooking a couple to help as well. And after some practice and loosening it with a spatula, I was able to generate a perfect flip. It was great fun!

Version 1
After you’ve completed cooking each one, fold it into quarters, plate, and squeeze lemon juice over them, then sprinkle a nice amount of sugar on as well. The orange essence of the pancake mixes well with the lemon/sugar combo. The taste is light and fresh.

Version 2
Place the cooked pancake onto a plate and spread cookie butter on one side. Make sure that you give the cookie butter a few seconds to melt before spreading (folding over the pancake for a minute speeds up the process). After spreading on one side, fold into quarters for a sweet, gingerbread-like treat.

Voilà! Pancake Tuesday debauchery complete. I hope you enjoy!