Delicious Traditions: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Recipe

Happy Mardi Gras my lovelies!

If you are celebrating catch some beads and have a drink for me.

Mardi Gras is french for “Fat Tuesday“, and this day is also referred to as Shrove Tuesday. The “Fat” part is reminiscent of the tradition of today being the last night of eating rich (aka fattening) foods before Lent, which is a time of ritual fasting and penance. This is a time of Carnival parties all around the world, and in historically Lutheran countries it would be referred to as “Fastelavn“. The word “Shrove” comes from the word “shrive” which means “absolution” or “confess”. Eggs, milk, and sugar were not eaten during the Lenten season so pancakes eventually became an easy way to use up those ingredients before Ash Wednesday. Knowledge is delicious.

One of my favorite traditions growing up was making Shrove Tuesday pancakes with my grandmother. She would drop them into oil by the spoonful and they would turn into a perfect caramel brown cloud of yumminess. They were warm and fluffy, and she would drizzle honey on them. So I decided that a cold February day is the perfect time to bring back this tradition and whip up some scrumptious pre-Lent treats for my own personal Mardi Gras (minus the bacchanalian shenanigans).

What I love about pancake recipes is that there are a myriad of delicious combinations you can put together. You can add bacon, Nutella, fruit, or honey. I love being in my kitchen and for me cooking is fun, relaxing, and creative. I happen to discover this awesome recipe on Pinterest, courtesy of Rock Recipes. If you can’t get down to New Orleans, which is one of my favorite American cities, then Pina Colada Pancakes with Vanilla Rum Syrup is the next best thing!

Pina Colada Pancakes with Vanilla Rum Syrup

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: About 18 large pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar sugar
2 cups milk
¼ cup sour cream
2 eggs
4 tbsp melted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced small
VANILLA RUM SYRUP
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
3/4 cup water
1 small vanilla bean
1/4 cup dark rum

Directions

Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
Add the milk, sour cream, eggs and vanilla and whisk together until their are no lumps left.
Stir in the pineapple and coconut.
Pour by ¼ cup measures onto a heated and oiled griddle.
When bubbles break the surface of the pancakes flip them and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with Vanilla Rum Syrup.
For the Vanilla Rum Syrup, in a small saucepan bring the water, sugar, corn syrup to a slow simmer. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds, adding them to the pot along with the vanilla pod. The pod can be removed later. Let this boil for 5 minutes then add the rum and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 230 degrees F on a candy or meat thermometer.
Allow the syrup to cool to almost room temperature before removing the vanilla pod pieces and serving over the pancakes.

I have always subscribed to the idea that pancakes are good anytime and can be enjoyed in the morning or evening. If you try this recipe out today or for a brunch at home, snap a pic and tag me on Instagram so I can see your yummy creations. If you have your own recipe for pancakes, leave it in the comments below. I would love to try it out in my kitchen!