Yes, it's that time of year again! It's Shrove Tuesday! We're celebrating this last day before Lent by sharing two videos - one with a cute dog and one with yummy pancakes, oh and a cute Tim!
Last year, Teasel and I made a video explaining Shrovetide - Shrove Sunday, Collop Monday and Shrove Tuesday - and how it was celebrated in Tudor times:
Tim is the pancake king in our house so here is his video on making pancakes:
Tim's Tudor inspired pancakes
3 eggs
6oz/170g plain flour
1/2 pint/250ml milk
1/4 pint/125ml ale (whatever you fancy or you could use water)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
a grating of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
A knob of butter
My favourite all-time pancake topping is lemon and sugar, but Nutella is also popular in our house. What do you like on your pancakes?
I mention fritters in the video and here is a recipe for those:
Lady Elinor Fettiplace's Apple Fritters
Take the whites of eggs and beat them very well, then put to them some creame, and a little flower, and some cloves and mace beaten smale, and some sugar, and the pap of two or three boiled apples and stir it well alltogether, then fry it in a frying pan with some sweet butter, and when it is half fried, break it in pieces like fritters and so fry it.
Here's my version based on Hilary Spurling's adaptation of Elinor's recipe:
2 small apples (or 1 cooking apple), peeled, cored and sliced
2 egg whites
2 rounded tablespoonfuls of sugar, mixed with 1 rounded tablespoonful of flour, 2 ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
Knob of butter
Stew the apple slices gently in a little water until the apple is a soft pulp.
Beat 2 egg whites stiffly, then fold in (with a metal spoon) 2 rounded tablespoonfuls of sugar mixed with 1 rounded tablespoonful of flour, 2 ground cloves and half a teaspoonful of cinnamon.
Add 4 tablespoonfuls of cream and then add the apple.
Melt 1 ounce or 25g of butter in a saucepan until very hot and then pour in the apple mixture and cook over a moderate flame for 3-4 minutes on each side.
Pancake races are also a traditional Shrovetide tradition and the Olney one dates back to the 15th century:
I usually have sugar and honey on mine or fruit. Steve doesn’t like pancakes but that’s just all the more for me.
The Tudors also had tournaments at this time and Henry fell in love.