Cocoa Pancakes

"It’s Shrove Tuesday – Pancake Day! Yay! It’s that time of the year we all make an absolute mess of our kitchens, wonder why people put lemon on their pancakes and end up bouncing off the walls on a jam-high."

Well actually no, not this year. Let’s do something different, let’s have something really indulgent, tasting of dark cocoa, velvety fresh cream and summer fruits. And, if it’s not Shrove Tuesday but you fancy a really gorgeous sweet breakfast, then this recipe is perfect.

Mix all your dry ingredients together before adding the milk and whisking until you have a nice, consistent batter. I also recommend sieving the flour first.

Take a small ladle or large spoon and add some of your pancake mixture to the centre of your pan. Wait for bubbles to form (as shown) and then gently, oh so gently, slide a plastic spatula under the edge, then under the entire pancake, and turn it over.

Depending on how good your non-stick pan is (and I was tempted to go out and buy a new one) you might just be able to flip your pancake, but the cocoa will conspire against you. It’s worth it though for the chocolatey goodness though.

The other side of your pancake will need less time. Transfer to a waiting plate, wipe the pan with some oil and go again. It’s not something you can rush but stick with it until you have 8-10 pancakes.

Mix the double cream with the sugar, add the vanilla essence, whisk until thick and serve with your pancakes. I stacked mine and topped it off with fruit but you can just use the cream and fruit as filling if you want.

Sit back, enjoy and promise yourself a visit to the gym tomorrow, or maybe the day after…

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