Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Occasionally someone comes on my B&B course who has decided that they will just offer a continental breakfast to their B&B guests. Now this is fine provided you make it clear up front to guests, on your website, when they book, in the confirmation email or if you’re planning on setting up a B&B in France! It also depends on your target market as well. However the vast majority of people who come to an English B&B for a break away want some variation of a Full English Breakfast.

As well as offering any variation of the Full English at my own B&B, along with scrambled eggs & smoked salmon and omelettes, I like to offer a daily special. This could be thyme scented mushrooms on toast, smoked haddock kedgeree, bubble & squeak topped with a fried egg…I could go on for some time here.

Offering lots of choice at breakfast isn’t for the inexperienced B&B owner. Getting out 6 different variations of a perfectly cooked Full English with 6 different types of egg isn’t an easy task – believe me I’ve been doing to for 6 years and there are still some mornings when the language in the kitchen would make Gordon Ramsay blush. So I always suggest to new B&Bers that they start simply and build up their repertoire as they gain in confidence.

So on day 1 of their stay, provided the guests aren’t vegetarian, no matter what wonderful specials I offer,  the majority of guests will request a Full English. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of guests in 6 years who have just wanted cereal & croissant! However on day 2 people tend to get a bit more adventurous. The most popular special I serve is American style pancakes.

I’ve tried lots of different recipes for these pancakes and have finally settled on one I like. I have Nigella to thank for the idea of making up pancake mix in advance but the recipe itself is from an American cookbook, with some adjustment. The great thing about this is that you make a large batch of the dry mix in advance, then just scoop out some mix when you feel like pancakes, mix with the wet ingredients and hey presto!

The recipe can be varied depending on the season. In summer I make blueberry pancakes – put the pancake mix in the frying pan, then add the blueberries. If you stir them into your mix then it can turn purple. In the Autumn & Winter I love my Apple Cinnamon Pancakes. For each cup of dry mix I add a teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 eating apples chopped into small chunks.

You can make the pancakes up with milk but using buttermilk creates the most sublime fluffy pancakes imaginable.

Bear in mind that the cups mentioned here are measuring cups, available from any good cookshop or supermarket, not teacups.

Pancake Mix

• 4 Cups Plain Flour
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 8 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Put all of the ingredients into a large jar – I use a large kilner jar. Put on the lid and shake really well to ensure all the ingredients are well mixed. Repeat this when you come to use the mix.

When you’re ready to make the pancakes. Mix the wet ingredients together.

• 1 pot of buttermilk ( just over 1 Cup ) or 1 Cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of melted butter
• 1 egg

Take 1 Cup of the dry ingredients and put in a bowl. If you’re making the cinnamon pancakes add a teaspoon here and mix well. Add the wet ingredients gradually. You’re looking for a fairly thick batter, a bit thicker than Yorkshire pudding batter. You may not need all of the wet mixture. If you’re doing apple pancakes add 2 diced apples at this point.

Put a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Brush with melted butter or oil then drop the pancake mix in large spoonfuls ( I use an ice cream scoop to measure them out – thank you Ina Garten for that suggestion ).

Cook on first side until small bubbles start to appear on the upper surface and the edges are set, about 2 minutes. Then flip over and cook for 2-3 minutes until you have a nice golden brown colour.

Serve with crispy bacon and maple syrup – some English folks need persuading about this combination but you really need the bacon, pancakes & syrup to get the perfect taste.

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