Pancakes with Chocolate Buttons

Pancakes are a child's dream; they can be made quickly, they cost next to nothing and you can have whatever filling you like...everyone can! I've tried them all: chocolate chips, peanut butter, lemon juice and sugar, jam, bananas, buttermilk...you name it, I've made it. The best of all though, according to my children, is chocolate buttons and Nutella. I couldn't disagree.

Pancake mixes vary and I won't give you my wide variety of mixes as it is basically flour, sugar, milk and eggs of varying amounts, but mostly made up in my head...you can never really go wrong though if you stick to the following:
4oz of every ingredient, i.e.
Basic Pancake Mix
4oz flour
4oz sugar
4oz milk
1 egg
Mix everything together using a whisk. Add more liquid if you prefer. Simply double the amount for double the quantity. One quantity will give you approx. 8 pancakes.
Here are some tips:-
1. Always pour melted butter (1-2 tablespoons)into your batter just before cooking pancakes and stir.
2. When putting butter in the pan before cooking pancakes, heat up and then wipe with a kitchen towel.
3. Leave the pan to heat up for a good minute or two on medium. Always regard your first pancake as a trial so put in less batter for that one. Only turn up heat if really necessary and only a little at a time.
4. Wait a few seconds before adding chocolate buttons and raisins or any other filling.
5. Always cook the flipped side for half the time of the first.

I sometimes make a pile of pancakes by sandwiching them all together with Nutella. This is a request I usually get for birthday breakfasts and is just like a tasty cake.

Crepes are slightly different but just as straightforward; I shall be making them this weekend whilst in St. Abbs with friends so watch this space!

I rounded up a batch of kids today and threw them into the park. They were not all mine but no-one seemed to mind. A few of them managed to stowaway in the car and stayed for tea. The kids are having a really chilled out, great summer so far and sometimes it's the little things, like having friends over to play or sleeping in late ( a HUGE thing to me!) and watching cartoons past bedtime. I'm enjoying it too...so far. But, as the lovely Jo pointed out, it really is time for a pint, for the sake of sanity, so I shall combine my evening walk to coincide with the Burnbrae and accidently stumble upon a double gin and tonic. The kids are going to grandmas. Woohoo.