Hannah Miles - Pancakes, waffles, crêpes & French toast : irresistible recipes from the griddle

PANCAKES, WAFFLES, CREPES & FRENCH TOAST

PANCAKES, WAFFLES, CREPES & FRENCH TOAST

irresistible recipes from the griddle

Hannah Miles

photography by Steve Painter

Dedication

For my dear friend Maren, with fond memories of Canadian pancakes!

Design, photography and prop styling

Steve Painter

Editor Stephanie Milner

Head of Production Patricia Harrington

Art Director Leslie Harrington

Editorial Director Julia Charles

Food Stylist Lucy McKelvie

Assistant Food Stylist Ellie Jarvis

Indexer Hilary Bird

First published in 2014

This edition published in 2020

by Ryland Peters & Small

2021 Jockeys Fields London WC1R 4BW

and

341 East 116th Street

New York, NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

Text Hannah Miles 2014, 2020

Design and photographs Ryland Peters & Small 2014, 2020

Hand-stitched page backgrounds made by Bridget Rolfe

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in China

eISBN: 978-1-78879-264-6
ISBN: 978-1-78879-203-5

The authors moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

US Library of Congress

CIP data has been applied for.

Notes

All spoon measurements are level unless otherwise specified.

All eggs are medium (UK) or large (US), unless otherwise specified. Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very old, frail, young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.

When a recipe calls for the grated zest of citrus fruit, buy unwaxed fruit and wash well before using. If you can only find treated fruit, scrub well in warm soapy water before using.

Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperatures. We recommend using an oven thermometer. If using a fan-assisted oven, adjust temperatures according to the manufacturers instructions.

contents

For almost as long as I can remember I have loved making pancakes and waes. Pancakes were one of the first things I learnt to cook and I used to make them when I came home from school with hot golden syrup sauce. There are few things nicer to serve than waes and pancakes for a relaxed weekend breakfast or brunch party. The be thing about pancakes, waes and French toas are that they are great andby recipes needing only flour, milk, eggs and a little sugar (or bread for French toa). Pancakes, waes and French toas are not ju for breakfast, they also make great lunch or supper dishes when you are in need of a quick and tasty meal. With a little maple syrup or simply lemon and sugar, these recipes can make a delicious treat in absolutely no time at all.

PANCAKES AND CRPES

Pancakes are served all around the world and have been documented in recipe books for centuries. There are two main types of pancake crpes, which are traditional French pancakes, made with a runny batter spread out very thinly in a pan or on a griddle, and American pancakes (or griddle cakes), which are made with a thick batter that includes raising agents so the resulting pancakes are light and fluffy. Both types are delicious and whatever your pancake preference, there is a recipe for you in the chapters of this book.

Crpes can be rolled up around fillings (both sweet and savoury), such as the apple or tropical crpes on pages 49 and 50 or the savoury varieties, stuffed with creamy chicken or spinach and ricotta, on pages 122 and 125. When it comes to American pancakes, not only are these thick pancakes delicious with lashings of sauce poured over, they can also have fillings within them, such as the blackberry pancakes on page 17, which contain a cream cheese and berry filling that is hidden until you cut into the pancake, or the Baklava version on page 29 filled with honey and nuts.

Traditionally, pancakes and crpes should be tossed in the pan to turn them over once the underside is cooked. In Olney, a market town near to where I live, there has been a pancake race on Shrove Tuesday since 1445 in memory of a woman who was late for Church and ran there with a pancake pan in her hand, tossing it all the way. It is a great spectacle to watch, followed by a delicious pancake lunch. If you are not brave enough to toss your pancakes at home, simply flip them over with a spatula instead. It wont make any difference to the taste!

Crpes and pancakes can both be made in a large frying pan/skillet, although to make the perfect crpe you really need a crpe pan or a crpe machine, which is similar to a hot plate. If you want to make crpes regularly, it is really worth investing in a crpe machine (they are not very expensive) as they make perfectly thin, lace-like crpes, just like you would buy in a French market.

WAFFLES

Waffles are made with a thick batter, lightened with whisked egg whites. You need a waffle iron to make them. There are two main types of waffle iron electric or stove-top and both come in a wide variety of patterns: rectangular; circular; heart-shaped; or even waffle fingers. I find that electric waffle irons have better temperature control than stove-top waffle pans.

The thing I like most about waffles is that the little holes are great to hold fillings and syrups. Waffle batter can be flavoured with almost anything, transforming a simple batter into something very special. My personal favourites are the apricot and white chocolate waffles on page 66, or the Smores waffles chocolate waffles sandwiched together with toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate on page 73. Both recipes are extremely indulgent but utterly delicious!

Waffles really need to be served straight away. You can stack and serve them once all the waffle batter is cooked but they can go a little soft so are best eaten when they are still crispy. Serve them one by one as soon as they are cooked for best results.

FRENCH TOAST

French toast, pain perdu, or eggy bread; no matter what you call this simple treat, it is indisputably delicious. The Germans call them arme Ritter or poor knights, as when knights fell on hard times and couldnt afford meat, they are said to have bought stale bread and made this delicious toast instead. While French toast is most commonly just egg-coated bread fried in butter, the recipes in this book take this humble treat one step further by making pockets in each slice for filling, such as the peanut butter and jelly or white chocolate macadamia and blueberry variations on pages 102 and 110. I cant recommend stuffed French toast enough so, if you havent tried it before, this is a real treat!