Pancake Day: Freedom Foods' fabulous recipes

Shrove Tuesday is here, and if you want to attempt something a bit more adventurous than sugar and lemon this year, why not experiment with some mouth-watering recipes for seriously special pancakes? I've found some great ideas for toppings today from the guys at Freedom Foods, including stewed rhubarb and ginger and cinnamon and rum-glazed bananas. Crikey. Is it lunchtime yet?

Follow the jump for the recipes!

Stewed Rhubarb with Ginger Flavoured Pancakes

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes: 8

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
200g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g light brown soft sugar
2.5cm piece fresh root ginger, finely grated
2 medium Freedom Food labelled eggs, 1 whole and 1 separated
284ml pot buttermilk
25g butter

For the rhubarb:
500g rhubarb, sliced
200ml water
3 tbsp caster sugar

Method

Place the rhubarb, water and sugar in a pan and heat gently. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft.

Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, and then stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the ginger, whole egg and egg yolk. Mix with a wooden spoon, and then gradually add the buttermilk, beating until the mixture forms a smooth, thick batter. In a clean bowl, whisk the remaining egg white with a pinch of salt to form soft peaks. Lightly fold into the batter using a large metal spoon.

Heat a little butter in a non-stick frying pan until foaming. Pour a generous tablespoon of the batter into the pan and spread to a circle about 8 cm. Cook over a medium heat for about 3 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes. Flip them over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until risen and golden. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Layer the pancakes and the rhubarb in a stack and serve.

Cinnamon Pancakes topped with Rum Glazed Bananas

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes: 8-10

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
110g plain flour, sifted
pinch of salt
2 Freedom Food labelled eggs
200ml milk mixed with 75ml water
½ tsp ground cinnamon
50g butter

For the topping:
4 bananas
zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp dark rum

To serve:
Icing sugar, for dusting
Crème fraiche

Method

To make the pancake batter, sift the flour, salt and cinnamon into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Stir in the eggs and gradually beat in the milk and water mix, drawing in the flour from the sides to make a smooth batter.

Melt the butter in a pan. Add 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to oil the pan, using kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.

Heat a pan over a high heat, reduce the temperature, wipe with a little of the melted butter and add two ladles full of batter. Swirl the batter round the pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Make sure the pancake is loose and toss. Cook for a further few seconds. Repeat until all the batter is used. Stack the pancakes, separating with a sheet of greasproof paper and keep warm while making the banana topping.

Peel the bananas and slice into a frying pan. Add the orange juice and zest, sugar and rum. Heat gently over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the bananas have softened slightly.

Serve the pancakes folded and topped with the rum bananas.

Spring Onion Pancakes Filled with Shredded Duck

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes: 8 pancakes

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
110g plain flour, sifted
pinch of salt
2 Freedom Food labelled eggs
200ml milk mixed with 75ml water
4 spring onions, finely chopped
50g butter

For the filling:
2 duck breasts, skinned
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp allspice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1 bunch spring onions, cut into matchsticks
1 red pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 green pepper, cut into matchsticks
4 tbsp Hoisin or plum sauce

Method

Preheat the grill pan over a medium heat. Place each breast between two sheets of clingfilm. Beat each breast with a rolling pin until it flattens. Place the flattened breasts in a bowl and rub in the sunflower oil. Rub in the all spice and season with black pepper and sea salt. Grill the duck for 5 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking.

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Whisk the eggs making sure all the flour from around the edge of the bowl is incorporated. Add the spring onions.

Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking

Whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Melt the 50g of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to oil the pan, using kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.

Once the duck is cooled, finely slice. When ready to serve, spread the pancakes with the hoi sin or plum sauce, and filled with the duck, cucumber and spring onion and peppers. Roll and serve.

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