Today is one of the most famous Tuesday’s – ‘Pancake Tuesday’, celebrated in numerous fashions from tossing pancakes, to parades and carnivals. Pancake Tuesday, so called due to the mass consumption of traditional rich foods dating back to the 1800′s: eggs, milk and sugar (the classic pancake mix) before the famine (self inflicted) called Lent by most Christian faiths. Lent begins the following day, Wednesday and lasts for forty days.

Pancake Tuesday is the last day to eat a normal diet of everyday foods and snacks. Pancake Tuesday in Ireland and the UK precedes ash Wednesday the first day of Lent. Pancake Tuesday also called ‘Shrove Tuesday’; the past tense of the verb to shrive; meaning ‘to obtain absolution from your sins by confession and to do penance.’ In other words Pancake Tuesday is the feast before the famine; a day to eat high calorie pancakes and enjoy your favorite treats. Once Lent, begins all treats and luxury foods are banned. Lent finally ends on Easter Sunday and treats are back on the menu.

While the Apronista household will not be strictly following the banning of all treats and luxury foods (be still my heart!), I do like the idea of giving up something in the 40 days prior to Easter as a small act of worship during Lent. Most people choose a favorite food or activity. At first, I thought about giving up Words with Friends (I’m Shawnee31 if you want to play!) or Pinterest, but that is a bit TOO painful. One of my favorite treats, though, is chocolate – and it’s not great for either my waistline or my skin. SOOooo, no chocolate until Cadbury egg day!

But back to Pancake Tuesday — we have a favorite pancake recipe that I would love to share with you, a baked pancake called a Dutch Baby. It’s a real family recipe — first shared with me by my mother-in-love, Karen, and  I make these in two of my mom’s cast iron skillets (but you could also use pie pans).

image from whatscookingamerica.net

DUTCH BABIES
1/2 c. butter (cut into pieces and split between the pans)
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. flour
powdered sugar
lemon juice

Put the butter in the pan and place in oven. Start oven preheating to 425 degree and the butter will be melted by the time you finish the batter (work fast). Put eggs in blender container and whirl at high speed for 1 minute. With motor running, gradually alternate pouring in milk, and then flour; continue whirling for 30 seconds. (If you don’t have a blender – using a rotary beater, beat eggs until light and lemon colored; gradually beat in milk, then flour.)

image from whatscookingamerica.net

Pull racks from pan and gradually pour batter into the hot melted butter (I pour straight from my blender but this was the best picture I could find), dividing the batter as evenly as possible between the two skillets. Push the oven racks back into place, and bake until puffy and well browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve at once with generous sprinkling of powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Let me know if you try these – either today or some weekend soon!  And, I’d love to hear if you plan on giving up anything for Lent.

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