When we were in Portsmouth, we were members of the North Church of Portsmouth. Each Fat Tuesday the congregation would get together for a pancake supper with entertainment. Before joining, I had never heard of this Shrove Tuesday tradition, but it was interesting, and a cheap way to feed a whole lotta people, and have a little fun while doing it.
I never really liked pancakes, though. With all the yummy things in the world, I wondered why people would eat them? Even waffles are way yummier than pancakes...
When I was a kid, my mom made flap jacks. From what I remember, she made them like her mom and sisters made them. Flap jacks were served when there weren't enough eggs in the house for everyone to have breakfast, as a way to stretch what was available. Flap jacks are like crepes. A couple of eggs, some flour and water, and you can feed quite a few folks for very little money.
Since we are not around for the Shrove Tuesday celebration, we decided we'd make our own tradition here in the city with the much yummier flap jacks.
I used 2 eggs, about 2/3 c flour and probably a cup and a half of water, and I used my mixer to make sure there were no lumps. The key is to make the better *very* thin. It should pour easily from your ladle, and cover the bottom of the very hot pan quickly as you swirl the pan around. If you find your batter is too thick, add a little water. If too thin add a little flour. It's not rocket science, but the key is to make it thin enough. I used a 1/4 cup ladle in a 10" frying pan, and my flap jacks covered the whole bottom of the pan.
Once the batter is spread in the buttered pan, let it cook until the edges curl up just a bit - then you know that the underside is done. Flip it over for another minute or 2, and then serve. The person lucky enough to get this bit of deliciousness should be ready and waiting to sprinkle a bit of brown sugar over the crepe, and roll it up quick so it stays warm. Cold flap jacks are not yummy at all. If you don't use all your batter, don't feel bad pouring it down the sink. It was inexpensive to begin with :)
