How to make pancakes with just three ingredients

It's Pancake Day, which means it's officially acceptable to enjoy the sweet treat at any given time in the day.

Historically in the Christian calendar, Shrove Tuesday was a chance for people to get rid of all the spare ingredients they had in their cupboards before the 40 days of Lent commenced. Lent is traditionally a period of self-discipline where people often give up bad habits or foods until Easter begins.

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With thanks to Mary Berry and her best-selling book, Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook, there's a quick, easy and practical solution to using up three rich ingredients.

You guessed it. All you need is flour, egg and milk.

Mary Berry's Pancakes

Preparation time: five minutes and 30 minutes for the batter to stand
Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes
Makes: 12 thin pancakes

Ingredients

• Plain flour (125g)
• Egg (one)
• Milk (300ml)

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Method

1. Firstly, sift 125g of plain flour into a bowl and make a hole in the middle
2. Whisk one egg, one egg yolk, and a little milk, and pour this mixture into the hole.
3. Whisk with a little of the flour.
4. Then, gradually whisk in half the remaining milk, drawing in the rest of the flour a little at a time.
5. Stir in the remaining milk, before covering and leaving to stand for about 30 minutes.
6. Heat the frying pan and drizzle in a little oil.
7. Ladle two or three tablespoons of the batter into the pan and tilt the pan a little so the batter spreads out evenly over the bottom.
8. Cook the pancake on medium-high heat for 45 to 60 seconds until small holes appear on the surface, the underside is lightly browned, and the edges of the pancake have started to curl.
9. Loosen the pancake and turn it over by flipping it with a palette knife.
10. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds, before sliding the pancake out of the pan and onto a plate.
11. Heat and lightly grease the pan again before making the next pancake.
12. Serve the pancakes as they are made, or stack them on a plate and reheat them before serving.

Remember, the first one is always a bit of a mess.

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