Pancake Party: Costa Rican, Chilean and British Style

Personally, I LOVE pancakes, especially to enjoy them with a black coffee in the middle of the afternoon, and luckily, I have lived in three different countries where they have very delicious and different recipes for pancakes.

I will share the Costa Rican, Chilean and British ways to prepare pancakes. They are easy and quick recipes, I am very inexpert in the kitchen, so believe me they are easy!

Costa Rican Pancakes

In Costa Rica, we name the pancakes “Arepas” and we usually eat them for breakfast or in the coffee break.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of flour
• 1 Egg
• ½ Cup of Sugar
• 1 Tbs of baking powder
• 1 Cup of milk

Preparation

1. Put all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix them by hand with a whisk or a fork.
2. Put a little of oil or butter in a frying pan and heat it in medium-high heat.
3. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the batter in a circle on the frying pan, and cook until a pancake is formed. Turn over, and cook until they look spongy and golden brown.
4. Prepare yourself a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy it with your arepa.

 Chilean Pancakes

Chilean people like to eat their pancakes when they take “the once” which refers to the evening snack.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ Cup of Plain flour
• 2 Eggs
• 1 ½ Cups of Milk
• 1 Tbs of vegetable oil
• Dulce de leche, caramel or jam for the filling (my favourite is Dulce de leche)

Preparation

1. Put all the ingredients together in a blender (except the filling). Process at medium speed for a few seconds until you get a homogeneous mix.
2. Heat a medium diameter non-stick frying pan, pour ¾ of a ladle and distribute throughout the pan in a circular way.
3. Cook for a few seconds until the edges are browned and turn. Cook a few more seconds and repeat the procedure until the mixture is finished.
4. Once ready, fill them one by one with a tablespoon of the filling of your choice and roll them over themselves.
5. Eat them!

British Pancakes

Did you know there is a Pancake day? British people celebrate Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday the day before Ash Wednesday, as traditionally, many people begin 40 days of lent following Ash Wednesday in preparation for Easter.

Ingredients                                           

•  ½ Cup Plain Flour                         
•  Pinch of Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup of milk
•  1/3 Cup of water
• 50g Butter

 To serve: Caster sugar and Lemon Juice/Lemon wedges

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients first (flour and salt) and then incorporate the wet ingredients (eggs, milk, and water).
2. Whisk until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream.
3. Melt the butter and put 2 spoons in the mix and use the rest of it to lubricate the pan before making a pancake.
4. Put 2 spoons of the batter into a hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter.
5. To serve, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.