600 BC - The first recorded mention of pancakes dates back to ancient Greece and comes from a poet who described warm pancakes in one of his writings.
1100 AD – Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) becomes a traditional way to use up dairy products before lent – the pancake breakfast is born.
It started when Pope St. Gregory prohibited Christians from eating all forms of meat and animal products during Lent around A.D. 600. ... So Christians made pancakes to use up their supply of eggs, milk and butter in preparation for Lent. Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day.
It is also Fat Tuesday.
1445 - The year that villager’s in Olney, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom, started their famous pancake race. Each year the winner receives a smooch from the church bell ringer.
1700s – Before baking soda chefs added fresh snow, which contains ammonia, to help make pancakes light and fluffy.
1800s - Milk and occasionally cream become the preferred liquids for pancake batter: before then, brandy and wine had been just as common.
1870s - The flapjack becomes known as the pancake and America is changed forever.
1880s –Maple syrup becomes the preferred topping of choice.
1931- Bisquick is first introduced and good cooks across America start using it to make extra fluffy pancakes.
1966 – A “New York Times” food editor publishes a recipe for a baked pancake that he discovered while visiting a friend in Honolulu.
1985 – Bisquick becomes the official sponsor of National Pancake Week, creating a weeklong celebration of all things pancake.
1995 - The largest pancake ever flipped was made in Rochdale, United Kingdom. It measured 16.4 yards across, weighed 3 tons and took more than just a frying pan to flip it over.
2008 – Actor Rainn Wilson creates SoulPancake.com, a feel good website that encourages people to explore what it means to be human with a little laughter along the way.
2009 – Aldo Zilli (above photo) set a new world record for flipping a single pancake – he flipped it 117 times in 60 seconds.
2012 – 890 people set a world record for the most people tossing pancakes — 930 tried but 40 flippers were disqualified for dropping their cakes.
Ok, let’s make pancakes…
3 cups/375g all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 1/2 cups/375ml milk
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a bowl.
2. Break the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk together with the milk.
3. Gradually add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk to a smooth batter.
4. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and melt a small knob of butter. Pour the batter into the pan, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.
5. When the top of the pancake begins to bubble, turn and cook the other side until golden brown.
6. Serve with butter and maple syrup.
