I tried a few American pancake recipes and then finally settled on one which I used for years. It was OK but the pancakes were a little heavy rather than super light and fluffy, like pillows.

Thinking there had to be something better, I started to try alternative recipes, each time still not quite satisfied, so I played around and developed my own. I’m convinced this is the only recipe to use! It instantly puts a smile on everyone’s faces when they take their first bite.

We like to have ours with stewed frozen cherries or blueberries, banana ice cream of varying types and, of course, maple syrup.

Never a chance of any leftovers with my gannets around but they do freeze and reheat well in a low oven. Separate the pancakes with greaseproof so that you take out just what you need. You can simply turn the toaster to the lowest setting and pop a pancake in to defrost and warm through.

Makes around 16

Ingredients	Equipment to have ready
250g self-raising flour	Large mixing bowl
1 1/2 tsp baking powder	Whisk
1 tbsp sugar	Teaspoon and tablespoon measures
Pinch salt	Measuring jug
3 eggs	Non-stick frying pan or cast iron skillet
1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter, plus extra oil for frying	Weighing scales
210 ml milk (or 200 if large eggs)	Baking tray
	Ladle, 1/4 cup measure or large spoon

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 120C Fan.
2. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl and gently whisk them around to combine and get rid of any lumps from the flour.
3. Crack in the eggs and start to whisk then pour in the oil or melted butter and gradually pour in the milk, whisking as you go.
4. Once you have a smooth, thick batter, put it to one side for 5 minutes. Bubbles will start to form in the batter.
5. Heat up the frying pan. You want it really hot and then turn down the heat to maintain a steady heat without risk of burning.
6. Pour a small drizzle of oil into the pan and coat the base of the frying pan or skillet. You just need to grease the pan, we’re not frying the pancakes in oil.
7. Depending on the size of your pan, you’ll be able to cook two or three pancakes at a time about 10cm in diameter. I use just less than a quarter cup measure.
8. Cook until the pancake mixture bubbles and starts to set on top then flip and cook for a few minutes on the other side. You will need to monitor the heat of the pan since the hotter it gets the quicker they brown before being ready to flip.
9. Transfer to a baking tray and keep warm in the oven until you’ve cooked all the pancakes and are ready to eat.