If you like crumpets. And you like pancakes…then I think you see where I am going with this.

Because this recipe is like a glorious breakfast frankenstein. Only edible, and way less creepy. These are actually based on a recipe from Jamie’s Great Britain for Yemeni Pancakes. According to Jamie, the Yemeni women would use these stretchy sweet cakes alongside slow cooked stews and vegetable dishes to sop up the juice: YUM.

I, on the other hand, cannot glance at a pancake without slathering it in syrup or honey or jam or nutella. And see how the surface of these soft little disks is all covered in holes? Well, that makes them just about perfect for soaking up a puddle of buttery syrup.

The batter for these pancakes is quick to put together, and is a one-bowl deal. The yeast in the batter means that they need to sit around for a while for the yeast to activate, but other than that, these are really no more difficult to make than typical buttermilk pancakes. And they are quite the show stopper when it comes to Sunday breakfast.

A pile of these soft, saucer-sized little puddles of hole-y pancake, alongside a sea of different spreads, maybe a little crispy bacon and a scrambled egg or two? That is my Sunday morning heaven.

There is something about these….they are somehow lighter than regular pancakes. Because of their crumpet-style almost chewy texture, they call out more to being part of a big breakfast spread, alongside a lot of other tastes, than just in a stack on their own. Something about them makes me want variety. Having said that – below is how I ate my plate.

These slightly yeasty, crumpetty pancakes were a boon to my soul. I slathered each one in butter, and then piled my favourite jam (bonne maman) onto one,  a little manuka honey onto another, nutella on a third, and some blueberry syrup onto another one. I rolled each little parcel up into a log, the fillings squishing out through little lace-like holes.

I made myself a veritable log-pile of different pancake fillings on my plate – and it was a joy. The same old familiar pancake breakfast, but with a bit of a spring in it’s step, and a new texture. What do they say? A change is as good as a holiday.

Well yeah, I’d still rather go to Barbados, but damn – these pancakes were good.

xx Sarah.

Crumpet Pancakes Recipe

Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Great Britain

Makes 20 10cm/5in pancakes

1 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp honey

2 eggs

400ml (1 3/4 cups) milk

350g (3 cups) flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

In a small bowl place the yeast, 2 tbsp of warm water and the honey and stir to combine. Leave to sit for about 15 minutes, or until foamy. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs together before slowly whisking in the milk. Add the yeast mixture and stir gently to combine. Next, add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until smooth. The batter should be the consistency of thick pouring cream. Leave to prove in a warm place with a tea towel over the bowl for an hour.

When the hour is up, the batter will have expanded slightly and will be aerated. To cook the pancakes, place a non-stick pan over a low-medium heat. I used a small pan, to make small pancakes (about 10 cm/5in), but any size pan would do. Each pancake is made by ladling in batter and then tilting and swirling the pan to coat the surface, so the amount of batter you add will depend on the size of your pan. Try a couple  – it won’t take long to get the hang of it. Each pancake is cooked when bubbles have risen all over the surface of the pancake, and the top is dry – they are only cooked on one side. Remove the cooked pancake to a plate, cover with a tea towel, and continue until all the batter is used. Serve slathered in goodness.