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Cream Cheese Pancakes – Low Carb & Gluten Free

Who said pancakes need to have flour in them?  Oh yes, not me!!  Looking for low sugar and low carb alternatives for foods isn’t the easiest thing to do, but if you play around with different ingredients, it’s surprising what you can make.

For this, I used Quark, but you could use any old cream cheese, including mascapone, and possibly even Philadelphia.  These also happen to be gluten free, which is also a boost, if that’s what you’re looking for.

I mixed this in a wee jug with a hand whisk.  No fancy high tech gadgets around here for these.

Cream Cheese Pancakes 3

Cream Cheese Pancakes - Low Carb & Gluten Free

Lesley Smith
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 16 minutes
Course Low Carb
Servings 8
Calories 35 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 110 g Cream Cheese or Quark Tesco Quark: 75 Calories, 4g Carb
  • 3 Medium Eggs 180 Cals, 0g Carb
  • 2 Level Teaspoons Stevia 4 Calories, 2g Carb
  • Butter or Oil to Grease Pan - I used One Cal Spray. 20 Sprays: 20 Cals, 0g Carb
  • Optional Teaspoon of Cinnamon or Nutmeg - (If you use this, count the carbs if you are keeping track)

Instructions
 

  • Put all the ingredients into a bowl or jug.

  • Mix or whisk until well combined into a good batter.

  • Heat frying pan on medium heat, then turn the heat down.

  • Cook on each side for 1-2 minutes, or until they resemble a pancake.

  • Serve with fresh berries.

 

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Maltesers Pancakes Recipe

These were the idea of my youngest child.  Wanting something a little bit different from regular pancakes, he wanted something a bit more sweet added to them.

We wandered the aisle of the local co-op to see what we could find and came up with pancakes with Malteser bits in them.

They’ve been more of a success than I actually could have imagined, so it was well worth experimenting with these Malteser Pancakes.

Malteser Pancakes Recipe

Adapted from Nigella Lawsons American Breakfast Pancakes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Snack
Servings 8 - 18

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 tablespoons Baking Powder
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 35 g Soft Butter
  • 35 g Caster Sugar
  • 300 ml Semi Skimmed Milk
  • 250 g Plain Flour
  • 150 g Crushed Maltesers

Instructions
 

  • Put all the ingredients into the mixer. Mix for 3 minutes. This pancake mix is actually quite thick in comparison to many of the older scotch pancake recipes as the intention is to have a pancake with a bit of a fluffy middle.
  • Heat a thick bottomed frying pan (or any pan) on the hob. I prefer not to use oil to cook my pancakes, but it means I do have to keep a close eye on them. I leave the heat almost at the lowest that it can go and cook them slowly.
  • When you see the top of the dollop of pancake mix beginning to bubble up, then it is time to turn over your pancake to cook the other side, which won't take long at all. Don't leave pancakes alone on the hob as they will burn very quickly.
  • You can get anything from 8 - 18 pancakes from this mix, depending on how big you make your pancakes.

 

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What Is Pancake Day? Tues 4th Mar 2014

This year, pancake day falls on the 4th of March.

Traditionally, Pancake Day, or what is often called Shrove Tuesday in the UK, is the day before Ash Wednesday and signals the start of Lent.

Typically, the word shrove means to confess all your sins and it is often known as pancake day as it was a great way to clear the cupboards before the fast of Lent by using up milk, butter and eggs which are not allowed during Lent.

We’ve all heard of the Mardi Gras carnival.  That’s a Shrove Tuesday event, as is the well-known carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

The Christian season of Lent is to prepare for Easter.  As a non religious family, it’s always surprising to me to find out the holidays and customs which so often seem tied in to historic Christian practice.

Lent begins around 40 days before Easter (not including Sundays)

During Lent, lots of Christians go through a period of fasting and repentance to have enough time to reflect on Jesus Christ, his suffering and the sacrifice he made.

Although not all Christians follow or stick to Lent, and it doesn’t seem to be mentioned in the bible, I do hear people giving up things for Lent.  A tweeter gave up Twitter for Lent a couple of years ago which I found a little strange as i thought it was about repenting on sins, and I’ve not thought of Twitter as a sin.

Perhaps it’s very hypocritical of me to enjoy making pancakes for Pancake Day, but like Christmas, it has no religious meaning in our home, and is celebrated just for what it is.  A day for making pancakes.

Whatever it means to you, have a lovely day and make lots of great pancakes.

[gmc_recipe 22548]

 

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American Pancakes Recipe (Fluffy Pancakes)

I was on the hunt for a springy pancake recipe.  In Scotland, we often make Scotch Pancakes, or what’s often called “drop scones” but they tend to be a little flatter than I was looking for.

I came across Nigellas American Pancakes Recipe in the hope that I’d have some lovely springy pancakes.  I adapted the recipe slightly to add a wee bit more baking powder and sugar to make them taste more like scotch pancakes, and I don’t use any oil or butter to cook mine in a thick bottomed hot pan.

American Pancakes Recipe (Fluffy Pancakes)

Adapted from Nigella Lawsons American Breakfast Pancakes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Baking

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 tablespoons Baking Powder
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 30 g Soft Butter
  • 300 ml Semi Skimmed Milk
  • 30 g Caster Sugar
  • 225 g Plain Flour

Instructions
 

  • I just used to mix this all up in a big plastic jug to make it easier to pour into the pan, but I’ve found that my mixer gives me better results with the batter so I just put up with a few mix trails as I go. I put all the ingredients apart from the flour and baking powder in the bowl and give them a mix around, then I put in the flour and baking powder and use the fold function to add it in. I’m not sure that really makes any difference, but it seemed to. This pancake mix is actually quite thick in comparison to many of the older scotch pancake recipes as the intention is to have a pancake with a bit of a fluffy middle.

  • Heat a thick bottomed frying pan (or any pan) on the hob. I prefer not to use oil to cook my pancakes, but it means I do have to keep a close eye on them. I leave the heat almost at the lowest that it can go and cook them slowly.

  • When you see the top of the dollop of pancake mix beginning to bubble up, then it is time to turn over your pancake to cook the other side, which won’t take long at all. Don’t leave pancakes alone on the hob as they will burn very quickly.

  • You can get anything from 8 – 18 pancakes from this mix, depending on how big you make your pancakes.