Secret Recipe Club: Scotch Pancakes

Time for another Secret Recipe Club! For those who haven’t seen my previous Secret Recipe Club posts, this club includes a group of bloggers who are assigned a different blog each month and secretly make a recipe to post on their specified reveal day. I look forward to my assignment email every month and discovering new blogs. It is also fun to see what someone chooses from your blog.

I was so excited to find I was assigned to Karen’s blog, Lavender and Lovage, this month (she also had my blog last month!). For those who haven’t come across her blog yet, definitely check it out. The photos alone are absolutely beautiful. Karen was born in South Africa and has lived all over the world (Britain- Northumbria, Cornwall, Berkshire, Lincolnshire, Hampshire, Scotland, Herefordshire; Hong Kong; USA; Cyprus; and Germany). She now lives in North Yorkshire and Southwest France. In addition to food writing and photography, she also gardens (particularly lesser used herbs), has a cooking school with workshops in France, and is currently working on a historical British cookbook!

On her blog, Karen has some interesting series such as the Wartime Kitchen and Rationing and plenty of recipes for those looking for British food. I settled on Scotch Pancakes (Scotch Griddle Cakes). Others I have pinned for later include Zuri’s South African Picnic Bread, Mixed Berry and Chocolate Popovers, Traditional English Hotcakes, Newfoundland Toutons, Baps, Hot Buttered Crumpets, Nanny’s Pan Haggerty, Glamorgan Sausages (Selsig Morgannwg), Finkadella, Three Cheese and Swiss Chard Pasta Bake Cake, Bunny Chow, and Romantic Welsh Griddle Cakes.

Scotch pancakes (drop scones) are very similar in texture and appearance to the American pancake, but are smaller in size. They have a bit of sweetness from the caster sugar, plus the drizzle of honey. The pancakes are traditionally made on a girdle (griddle) or hearthstone. I used a heavy cast iron skillet. My family loved them and they were the perfect size for Evan and Claire.

Karen used self-rising flour for her griddle cakes. Since I don’t keep self-rising flour on hand, I added some baking powder and salt to make my own. If you have it available, use 225 grams (8 ounces) self-rising flour instead of the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and use just a pinch of salt.

I didn’t have heather honey, so I topped my pancakes with butter, fresh blueberries, and a drizzle of wildflower honey. Jam or cream would also be delicious.

To keep the pancakes warm while you are preparing the rest of the batter, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 200 degree F oven. Just don’t keep them in there too long (no more than 15 min) or they will start to dry out.

Check out what everyone else made!

 

Scotch Pancakes
Adapted from Lavender and Lovage
Serves 3-4

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 teaspoons caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten with enough milk to make 300 ml (1 1/4 cups)
Oil for greasing the pan
Butter and honey (heather) for serving

 

In a large skillet, lightly drizzle oil over medium low heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar until well combined. Whisk in beaten eggs and milk until a smooth batter forms.

Once the skillet is heated, add tablespoon amounts of batter, gently smoothing the top and being careful not to crowd. Cook until the cakes start to set on the edges and bubbles appear in the center. Flip and cook other side until golden. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing the pan as needed.

Serve warm with butter and honey.