Pancake's Day

Know a little someone who loves a pancake or two? Make their day extra special and let them get their hands sticky in the kitchen too...

Pancakes are a lovely recipe for kids of all ages. There are different tasks each age group can get stuck into until eventually they have the confidence and skills to be able to make them from start to finish – just be prepared for some sticky ceilings. Once your pancakes are made, the options of what you can fill them with are endless from cheese and spinach to chocolate and bananas…

Flash of a pan

Cooking pancakes obviously requires handling a pan, our food editor Barney found that with children from the age of seven up, the safest way is to heat the pan, then take it over to the child – away from the heat – and let them add the batter.  Then it’s up to the adult to cook it on the stove until it’s ready for flipping. Then return the pan to the child – again, away from the heat – and allow them the joy of tossing the pancake.

Easiest-ever pancakes

If you are working with quite young children this simple batter is based on equal volumes of eggs, milk and flour so they can easily measure out the ingredients for themselves, and there is no need for scales. It also produces thick, beautiful pancakes that the kids can quickly get busy filling with all kinds of delicious things…  try laying out little pots of treats so little hands can have free reign – though it is always worth keeping half an eye on those sprinkles.