Scotch Pancakes are soft, light and slightly sweet, they are really easy to make on the stovetop with a girdle or frying pan. Let me show you how you can easily transform a simple sweetened batter into a light and fluffy pancakes that everyone will love.
I couldnt have been more than 3 or 4 years old when I remember standing on a stool by the stove helping my granny to make pancakes. Thats how simple it is to make pancakes. She taught me to watch the bubbles burst so I knew that it was time to turn over the pancakes to cook the other side.
What are Scotch Pancakes?
Scotch Pancakes are small, thick pancakes not to be confused with the large thin crepe style of pancake. They are very similar to the breakfast pancakes made in the USA, probably because the early settlers took their recipes with them.
In Scotland, we just call them pancakes or drop scones or even, pan scones. All of these names describe the same batter based pancake.
Why are Pancakes made in a pan?
Most traditional Scottish recipes are those which were made by the ordinary working people. At this time only the rich and the baker had an oven therefore the main method of cooking for ordinary people was over a fire.
A pot would hang over the fire to cook the porridge, broth or stew. The kettle might hang from the hook or sit on an iron plate to the side of the fire to heat all the water the household would use. I couldnt find the exact image to show this, but I think these two give the general picture.
To make traditional Scottish bread such as bannocks, oatcakes, pancakes, and tattie (potato) scones, the girdle, a flat black iron pan would be heated by the fire to bake the bread.
What kind of pan should I use?
Use a traditional girdle if you have one, the heat is evenly spread through the thick cast iron pan and it is easier to turn the pancakes because it doesnt have an edge.
If you dont have a girdle, use a large thick-based frying pan. You can make perfectly good pancakes in a frying pan. I often use my large non-stick frying pan for convenience and the pancakes turn out just the same.
The Recipe
I got this recipe from our neighbour, who got it from a second cousin of my father-in-law. In a rural community, everyone is connected! My mother makes great pancakes, however, when she tasted my pancakes using this recipe she started to use it too.
Like all my Scottish recipes this one is particular to me and my family., I dont claim that it is the definitive Scotch Pancake recipe. You may have your own recipe but I hope you will try mine because these pancakes really do taste very good.
How do you serve Scotch Pancakes?
In Scotland, we serve our pancakes with butter and jam and a cup of tea. Scones and pancakes are the mainstays of a Scottish High Tea. Unlike afternoon tea, High Tea is served in the early evening, it includes a main course followed by scones, pancakes and sometimes some cake.
Pancakes are also very good with cheese, of course, you can serve them for breakfast with maple syrup or eat them any way you like.
Can you freeze Scotch Pancakes?
Yes, they freeze really well for up to 3 months. Lay the cooled pancakes on a tray or baking sheet lined with parchment paper and open freeze. Once they are frozen put them into a bag or airtight box and store your freezer.
Pancakes are really quick to defrost. Lay them inside a clean tea towel or between sheets of kitchen paper towels on top of a cooling tray and leave for about 10 minutes You can also defrost them in the microwave or you can pop them into your toaster for a short time.
How to make Scotch Pancakes like a Scot
The Ingredients
You will need:
- Plain (All Purpose) flour
- Self-raising flour
- Caster Sugar
- Bicarbonate of Soda
- Cream of Tartar
- Golden Syrup
- Egg
- Milk
- Oil
Make the batter
- Sift the all the dry ingredients into a wide jug or bowl
- Add the oil, egg and golden syrup and a little of the milk. Use a whisk to blend them together.
- Add the milk a little at a time until you have a batter that is the consistency of unwhipped double (heavy) cream.
Heat the girdle or pan
Heat the pan to a medium heat, on my electric stove this is setting no. 3. Getting the heat right is trial and error and you may have to turn the heat up and down to get it just right.
Greasing the pan
Lightly grease the pan with a butter paper or a little bit of butter on a piece of baking parchment. You may need to use a cloth or kitchen paper behind the parchment as the pan will be hot.
Top Tip
Use very little butter. Tthink about it as greasing a baking tin rather than frying in a pan.
Do a test
Try a teaspoon of the mixture in the pan to see if the bubbles form on top. It takes about 20-30 seconds for the bubbles to start if the pan is at the right temperature.
Make the Pancakes
- I use a serving spoon to get the right amount of batter for my pancakes. You can pour from a jug, use a ladle, a cup or other measure. The more batter the bigger the pancake.
- Do not overcrowd your pan because you need space to turn them.
- When the bubbles pop in the tip of your pancake, turn it over with a spatula.
- Cook for another minute or two until the underside is brown.
Place the pancakes inside a clean tea towel on a cooling tray to keep them soft, then add more batter to your pan to make more pancakes.
More Pancake Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
More Pancake Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Banana Nutella Pancakes Fab Food 4 All
- Apple Cinnamon Pancakes (Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Vegan) Gluterama
- Crepes Suzette Recipes Made Easy
- Sweet Potato Pancakes with Sweetcorn and Chilli Feast Glorious Feast
More Scottish Recipes
You can find the recipe index in the menu at the top of every page along with other ways to sort recipes including a handy shortcut to find myScottish inspired and traditional recipes.
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Scotch Pancakes
Ingredients
- 175 g plain flour
- 75 g self-raising flour
- 75 g caster superfine sugar
- tsp baking soda
- tsp cream of tartar
- 2 tsp cooking oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp Golden syrup
- A pinch of salt
- 300 ml milk approximately
Instructions
- Sift the flours, raising agents, salt and sugar into a large jug or bowl.
- Add the oil, egg and golden syrup to the dry ingredients with a little of the milk.
- Whisk together, adding more milk as you go until you have a smooth, lump-free bather.
- You can use an electric whisk or blend the ingredients with a stick blender or in a jug blender.
- Heat the pan to medium heat. Use a very little butter on a piece of parchment paper or use a butter wrapper, to grease your pan. Think about it as greasing a baking tin rather than frying in a pan.
- Test a teaspoon of batter to see it is hot enough. The bubbles should start to form after 20 30 seconds.
- I use a serving spoon to get the right amount of batter for my pancakes. You can pour from a jug, use a ladle, a cup or other measure. The more batter the bigger the pancake.
- When the bubbles pop in the tip of your pancake, turn it over with a spatula.
- Cook for another minute or two until the underside is brown.
- Place your pancakes on a tea towel placed on a cooling rack, fold the tea towel over the pancakes to keep them soft until all the pancakes are ready.
Notes
- You can make the batter ahead of time and leave, covered, for up to an hour.
- Do not overcrowd your pan because you need space to turn them.
- Pancakes freeze really well for up to 3 months. Lay them out on a flat tray and place in the freezer, then put them in a bag or box, remember to label them with the date.