There are few things that make a Sunday spent with loved ones even more perfect than a large stack of pancakes in the middle of the table. Last weekend, for the first time, I tried the combination of bacon & maple syrup. It always sounded weird to me – sweet pancakes & maple syrup against a salty smoked bacon?! However, now that I’ve tasted it, I’m sold. The smoked pancetta worked so well against the sweet maple, and almost tasted like salted caramel! You should definitely give this combination a try, if you haven’t already. This recipe for pancakes is a bit different to others I’ve tried – they come out really large but also really fluffy. This is another recipe from BBCGoodFood which I found in one of their issues from 2012.

Large, Fluffy Pancakes with Pancetta & Maple

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Serves 3-4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 20 mins | Easy
You’ll need
  • 8-10 slices smoked pancetta;
  • butter for cooking;
  • 300g self-rising flour;
  • 1 tsp baking powder;
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar;
  • 2 medium eggs, beaten;
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup + extra to serve;
  • 300 ml milk;
  • blueberries, to serve (if you wish).

For the pancetta. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and lay on the pancetta in a single layer. Put another piece of parchment on top, followed by a second baking tray, and bake for 12-15 mins until crisp. Keep warm until you make the pancakes.

Meanwhile, make the pancakes. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder and sugar together. In another bowl, mix the milk, eggs and maple syrup. Make a well in the dry mix and start adding the milk mixture slowly, stirring well before adding more. Continue until everything is mixed well together and there are no lumps.

Melt some butter in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add table spoons full of batter to make the batter as large as you like. Cook for a couple of minutes or until bubbles start to appear on the surface. Flip and cook for another couple of minutes. Keep the pancakes warm in a warm oven while you make the rest of the pancakes.

Original recipe from BBCGoodFood, issue March 2012, available here.