Wondering what to have for a lazy breakfast this weekend ? Why not treat yourself and try these easy to make pancakes. These are a real favourite in our house for breakfast, lunch / brunch, we love  them too with Bucks Fizz on Christmas morning every year. They are quick and much easier to make than the thin traditional pancakes and I bet that once you master these you may never bother with the thin more labour intensive pancakes. These are easy for kids to make too – not a bad rainy day activity? They are wonderfully versatile…  you can serve them with crispy bacon & maple syrup, a squeeze of lemon & some sugar or your own favourite toppings e.g. golden syrup, chocolate spread, raspberry jam etc. You do need to have a reasonably good non-stick pan that you use only for making pancakes and / or omelettes. The recipe will make approx. 20 pancakes but the mixture will keep overnight in the fridge, if you don’t want to make them all at once or rather eat them all at once! One thing guaranteed is that whatever number you make, they will all be eaten! Ingredients 300g (11 oz) self-raising flour 2-4 tbsp caster sugar 2 eggs (lightly beaten) 300ml (10 fl oz) milk 100g (2 ½ oz) butter (preferably clarified butter*  as normal butter tends to burn.)

• Sieve the flour into a large bowl.
• Add the sugar and stir.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the liquid and mix just until it comes together. (Be careful not to over-stir or the pancakes may turn out too tough)
• Heat the frying pan and turn the heat down to medium low.
• Put a tablespoon of the clarified butter into the pan, allow it to heat up for a few seconds, then put in a tablespoon of the batter mixture. You can make 3 or 4 pancakes at a time depending on how big your frying pan is.
• Cook for about 2 minutes – as soon as bubbles appear on the surface it is ready to be turned over.
• Turn the pancake over using a wooden spatula.
• Cook for a further minute or two until the pancakes seem firm and golden on the bottom.
• Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
• Serve straight from the pan with

Tip: I like to add some delicious Irish blueberries (when in season) to these pancakes and because some people like to have plain ones as well I divide the mixture, put some into another bowl, add the blueberries and cook in exactly the same way.

*Clarified butter This is butter from which all milk solids have been removed. The result is a clear yellow fat that can be heated to a higher temperature than butter before burning. It is an excellent fat for pan-frying.

How to make clarified butter

• Put the butter in a heavy saucepan(or microwave) at a low heat.
• Melt gently.
• Skim off all the froth from the surface. You will then see a clear yellow layer on top of a milky layer.
• Carefully pour the clear fat into a bowl or jug, leaving the milky residue in the pan.
• Discard the milky residue or add it to soups.
• Since clarification removes impurities, clarified butter keeps well i.e. for several weeks in the fridge.