Pancake Day: How to enjoy an alternative meal with Bolognese crepes, whisky maple syrup or hearth cakes

It may seem really early but it’s pancake day today. But you don’t need to reach for the lemon and sugar…

I’ve always loved pancake day. It’s more as an excuse to treat myself and the household to a decadent breakfast on a Tuesday or, if time isn’t on my side in the morning, as a dessert when we’d normally not bother.

Pancakes were always a treat for us growing up, and usually made, by my mum, on an old flat girdle (griddle) on certain Sundays. These were always flat, crepe style pancakes and eaten with sugar and lemon – my dad’s favourite – or copious amounts of maple syrup.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised that while I enjoy these pancakes, my favourite are the more traditional drop scones or Scotch pancakes – the smaller, risen bakes. My go-to recipe is from Nick Nairn’s mother and is an easy to make one, shared years ago in another Scottish newspaper. I also tend to eat them now with plain yoghurt and fruit, especially if they’re for breakfast, or Nutella if they’re a dessert.

Fancy a savoury pancake this Shrove Tuesday?

But I may now be in the minority, as searches for savoury pancakes are up by +130 per cent as we head into Pancake Day. With this in mind TikTok chef Lagomchef, who has 1.2 million followers, has shared an unusual recipe for Shrove Tuesday – Bolognese crepes. Scott Davies, head chef of The Three Chimneys, on the Isle of Skye, has also shared one of his favourite pancake recipes with us at The Scotsman – Douglas fir pancake, juniper, sea buckthorn and smoked streaky bacon. We also have a recipe for Irn-Bru pancakes.

If, like me, you prefer your pancakes sweet, but are searching for more interesting toppings, Walker’s Shortbread recommends zesty lemon infused crêpes, which are drizzled with warm lemon curd – straight from the pan – before being dolloped with whipped cream and a crumble of shortbread.

Or why not add some whisky to the mix? Master of Malt is selling a Sugar Shack Canadian maple whisky liqueur, which can be enjoyed long after Pancake Say. Made with premium maple syrup and Canadian corn whisky, it is sweet and layered and would be at home drizzled on pancakes or used in a maple old fashioned cocktail.

The team there have said this of the delicious sounding creation, adding: “Brimming with luxurious layers of buttery, soft corn, meaning it's excellent to pour straight down your throat, and packed with enough silky maple sweetness you could happily drizzle this on your pancakes, or over ice cream.”

A lot of people are trying out savoury pancakes.

Then, of course, there is the trend of souffle style pancakes, which I think I’d rather buy from Koko House in Glasgow than attempt these at home. Easier recipes than this are in our food history, and include hearth Cakes, Scots xrumpets and rraditional beremeal pancakes (a traditional savoury pancake, made long before TikTok).

The upshot is you can have your pancakes whatever way you want today, whether it’s in honour of the past and cooked on a girdle – sadly my mum threw ours away years ago – with a glug of whisky-spiked maple syrup or after being inspired by social media.