Eight of the best Shrove Tuesday pancake fillings and toppings
The following are toppings for thin, English and crêpe style pancakes so you won't find any bacon or Maple Syrup here.
What's Shrove Tuesday all about?
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday and marks the last day before Lent begins. This was the day in which the richer food was eaten before the Lenten fast began, and a tradition grew up in Britain of making pancakes to use up the eggs and sugar.
Today many people still observe "pancake day", with stores selling precooked pancakes, ready-made batter, dry mixes and lemons or their juice for flavoring, but it's quick and easy to make your own. Whatever you choose to do, these sweet and savory fillings will be a perfect accompaniment.
1. Lemon and sugar
This is the easiest and probably the most popular pancake accompaniment. It was certainly the only thing we ever had on Shrove Tuesday when I was growing up.
Preparation:
It doesn't get any easy than this. Simply squeeze lemon juice over the pancakes, roll into tubes and then dust with sugar.
2. Nutella and banana
Another extremely popular combination, but this can be a little too sweet if you go overboard on the nutella.
Preparation:
Spread your pancake thinly with nutella, then add the banana, sliced into coins onto one half. Fold the other half over to serve.
3. Strawberries and cream
This works best with the squirty cream you can get in a can at the supermarket, the kind you would put on an ice-cream sundae. It's indulgent but you might be fasting for forty days after all.
Preparation:
Slice the strawberries and place them on one half of the pancake. Squirt some of the cream on top and then fold over and have another squirt of cream on top of that.
4. Honey and nuts
Any nuts go great with honey and they add a really nice crunch to pancakes.
Preparation:
Roll the pancakes and then drizzle with the honey before sprinkling the nuts generously on top.
Wills and Kate tossing pancakes
5. Golden Syrup and icecream
Whilst I hail from a lemon and sugar household, my husband grew up having nothing but Golden Syrup on his pancakes. I like to add vanilla ice-cream, which is made more delicious as it melts and mixes with the syrup.
Preparation:
Fold the pancake into quarters and tuck a scoop of ice-cream inside. Then drizzle the syrup on top.
6. Cheese and ham
This is a classic savory pancake and requires minimal work for the filling. However, it is best you make your own pancakes instead of using the ready-made kind.
Preparation:
Sprinkle grated cheese and chopped ham onto the pancake whilst it's in the pan and place it under the grill. When the cheese is melted, fold the pancake in half to serve.
7. Garlic mushrooms
This is so simple and it tastes like it took more effort than it does. It's a nice, quick dinner, not just for "pancake day".
Preparation:
Slice button mushrooms and fry them in garlic butter (or butter with a clove of crushed garlic). When they are soft, add a splash of cream to create a sauce from the butter and the juices from the mushrooms, and then serve in a folded pancake.
8. The trashy pancake
Not just for Shrove Tuesday, this savory pancake is a great way to use up a vegetables or scraps of meat. The key to this is lots of melted cheese because no matter how bored I am of leftovers, everything tastes good in the melty, greasy goo that cheese becomes.
Preparation: Grate cheese directly on to pancake whilst it's in the pan. Then top with whatever is in the fridge and grill. Fold in half to serve, with ketchup for dipping.
Image credit goes to Paul at http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
