2 delicious pancakes …for your Valentine!

Pancakes with syrup and bacon

Banana pancakes with crispy bacon & syrup

Talk about 2 birds, 1 stone etc. These brunch pancakes are delicious!

INGREDIENTS

8 rashers smoked streaky bacon (or pancetta strips)

140g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp light soft brown sugar

2 ripe bananas, 1 mashed, 1 thinly sliced

2 large eggs

25g butter, melted, plus a little extra

125ml milk

maple syrup

METHOD

Heat the grill to high. Arrange the bacon on a baking tray lined with foil.

Cook for 5-7 mins until crisp, then turn off the grill but leave the tray inside to keep warm.

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and sugar with a pinch of salt.

Make a well in the centre and add the mashed banana, eggs, butter and milk. Whisk to a smooth batter without any flour lumps.

Heat a little butter in a large frying pan. Once sizzling, ladle in small dollops of the pancake batter, leaving a little space between each, as they will spread out.

Put 2 or 3 slices of banana onto the surface of each pancake and cook for 2 mins over a medium heat. When you see bubbles appear between the banana slices, flip the pancakes over and cook for 1 min more, until puffed up and golden. Transfer to a plate and keep warm with the bacon while you cook the rest.

Serve the pancakes with the crispy bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup….Yum!

Coconut crêpes with raspberry sauce

These delicious vegan pancakes are scrummy!

INGREDIENTS

For the raspberry sauce

200g raspberries

2 tsp cornflour

2 tsp maple syrup

For the coconut crêpes

140g plain flour

2 x eggs or equivalent egg replacer for vegan recipe*

300ml coconut milk

2 tbsp toasted desiccated coconut

a little sunflower oil, for frying

METHOD

Set aside 6 of the raspberries.

Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp water until smooth. Measure 300ml water in a pan, and stir in the cornflour paste. Heat, stirring, until thickened.

Add the remaining raspberries and cook gently, mashing the berries to a pulp.

Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl to remove the seeds, pushing through as much of the mixture as you can.

Quarter the reserved raspberries and add to the sauce, along with the maple syrup.

To make the crêpes, tip the flour and a pinch of salt into a large jug, then beat in the egg replacer, coconut milk, 200ml water and 11/2 tbsp toasted coconut to make a batter the consistency of double cream. Thin with a little more water if it is too thick.

Heat a small frying pan with a dash of oil, then pour in a little batter, swirling the pan so that it completely covers the base. Leave to set over the heat for 1 min, then carefully flip it over and cook the other side for a few secs more.

Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter until you have at least 12. Stir the batter to redistribute the coconut as you use it.

Serve 2 crêpes per person with a drizzle of the sauce and a little of the remaining toasted coconut…delicious!

*egg replacer for vegans – this can be bought from most health food shops. There are several different ingredients you can use as egg replacer, as eggs have so many different functions its best to tailor which one you use to a specific recipe.