Christmas Pancakes!
A few years ago, I started a tradition of cooking breakfast for the family on Christmas Eve. It was a full cooked breakfast, just like my dad used to do for my brothers and me when we were kids. Yes, we’re talking sausage, bacon, eggs, toast, tomatoes, mushrooms–the works, including vegetarian meat alternatives.
However, this year I decided to do something different. Cooking for a family of eight is a lot more stressful than when it was just four or five of us back when I was young. This past February, I made English pancakes for the family on Shrove Tuesday, and they were a hit. More than one person asked if we could have them more often. But when would we do that? That’s when the idea of Christmas Pancakes was born!
This morning, I cooked up a batch of English pancakes (see my Shrove Tuesday blog article for the recipe, and to learn the differences between English, Scottish, and American pancakes). I offered a range of fillings: sugar, lemon juice, strawberry jam, butter, Nutella, honey, powdered sugar, and even some maple syrup. It was interesting to see the various combinations people tried. I’m quite partial to strawberry jam on my pancakes (with, perhaps, some honey). My wife likes powdered sugar, and one of my kids made cinnamon sugar to go on hers.
So, today was the start of a new–or, rather, newly-modified–tradition in our household: Christmas Pancakes on Christmas Eve. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
Have a great, and safe, Christmas, everyone. And watch out for upcoming blog posts featuring my Book of the Month for December, my Book of the Year, and the opportunity to win a copy of that book…!
Oooh, looks tasty, Colin! Merry Christmas to you and yours. 🙂
Mmmm! We made pancakes a few weeks ago. Nutella is nice, but good-quality jam won out as our favourite topping.
Merry Christmas, Colin, and all the best for 2013. 🙂
Those pancakes look delicious! Maybe it’s because I’m Canadian, but I like mine best with real maple syrup. Other than the usual Christmas baking (which always includes shortbread and cracker candy) the only set in stone Christmas Eve tradition we have is watching “The Very First Noel”, probably the cutest cartoon of the nativity story you could ever hope to see. It’s narrated by Andy Griffith and the whole thing rhymes. Hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas!
Ooooooh yummy! I don’t usually have a tradition because I’ve worked a lot of Christmas Eves, but I love to watch Die Hard 😛
Merry Christmas, Colin!
Dad’s breakfasts… One of the many things I miss at Christmas now. I’m glad you’ve started your own traditions, Col. Happy Christmas Bruv. xxx
Yes, cooking for 8 can be quite stressful. Especially when one doesn’t anything the rest are eating and then more than one “doesn’t like that anymore”. But hey at least you only have to do this once or twice a year and everyone likes it–try dinner some time. Love you!!
Those pancakes look delicious. I always make my own pancakes every year for Shrove Tuesday. The morning is just spent making as many as possible. 🙂
I don’t think I have a tradition on Christmas Eve except chilling out before Christmas Day and the chaos arrives. I usually watch a few Christmas films and get all the presents sorted into stockings and under the tree. It tends to be as calm as possible.
Christmas Eve evening we always have smoked salmon with a variety of cheeses, crackers and crudités.
Growing up, Christmas morning Dad read the Christmas story while we drank his specialty hot cocoa and ate Mom’s homemade cinnamon rolls. We’ve continued that tradition at my house, even though it’s just the two of us.