American Pancakes

A couple of weeks ago on the recommendation of my Norwegian potwasher I made some fishcakes from her homeland, which, I'm going to be honest, were tasty, but had a most unusual texture. I think I wrote at the time that they reminded me of rather fishy American pancakes: light and fluffy, but with the unmistakable taste of blended cod and haddock. The potwasher has since left in disgrace, last seen heading back to a Norwegian coastal town with a lot of weird "Os" in its name. I think she might even have nicked some Brillo pads and rubber gloves, but can't be sure.

Anyway, since this odd seafood/US pancake hybrid I've had a hankering for the real thing. Light, fluffy with lashings of crispy bacon and maple syrup. And no fish.

Makes 12

Ingredients:
135g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
 2 tbsp caster sugar
130ml milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp melted butter, cooled slightly, plus extra for cooking

Method:
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into large bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the egg and milk, and then whisk in the butter.
2. Combine the two mixtures and whisk until you have a smooth batter. Allow to strand for a few minutes.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter. When melted add heaped tbsp of the thick batter mix. You can normally do three to four at a time.
4. Once the tops start to bubble, carefully turn over and cook the other side for another minute.
5. Repeat until all done. You can keep the other pancakes warm in a low oven.