International Pancake Day: Flip for Pancakes!

 

It seems there is a "special" day for just about everything. There are days delighting in doughnuts. There are days for savoring sandwiches and hallowing hamburgers. Pie even gets more than one day.

It's always a good day to flip for pancakes. But if you need an excuse, International Pancake Day is today - Tuesday, March 1. Pancake Day is a moveable feast whose date is determined by Easter. It's celebrated exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday (April 17 this year).

Down the road in Liberal, Kansas, the 73rd International Pancake Day is back after a hiatus last year due to Covid.  

For 73 years, the women of the two communities - Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England - have raced down the streets of their respective communities, flipping pancakes and running against the clock and each other. The race is always on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It's the only race of its kind in the world.

"Shrove" is not a thing, but a verb. "Shrive" (shrove, shriven) comes from the Old English verb scrfan, "to decree, decree after judgment, impose a penance upon, hear the confession of," according to the dictionary. Shrove Tuesday is a day to reflect, to seek penance and get ready for Lent.

In Olney, the Pancake Race tradition dates back to 1445. Legend has it that a woman was busy making pancakes and using up cooking fats, which were forbidden during Lent at that time. Hearing the church bells ring to announce the Shrove Tuesday service, she grabbed her head scarf and ran to the church, with pancake-filled skillet in hand. In following years, neighbors joined the race to the church. The first to arrive collected a Kiss of Peace from the bell ringer.

Photo from the International Pancake Day Facebook page: Liberal's Billie Warden crosses the finish line in 1950. Billie won the local race with a time of 1:18 but lost to Olney's Florence Callow, who finished in 1:10.4.

 

 

The international race with Liberal began in 1950, when Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete saw a photo of the English race in Time magazine and then contacted Olney, challenging their women to race against the women of Liberal.

Racers must still wear a head scarf and apron. Each runner flips her pancake at the starting signal and again as she crosses the finish line to prove she still has her pancake after running the 415-yard course.

Photo from the International Pancake Day Race Facebook page

According to the book, America Celebrates! A Patchwork of Weird & Wonderful Holiday Lore, some superstitions have evolved among Liberal racers:

• It is considered good luck to carry a past winner's skillet in the race or wear a past winner's apron.
• One year, the stack of concrete pancakes marking the starting point of the race was stolen. This was considered a bad omen, but the stack was later returned.
• Although the women practice running 415 yards, it is considered bad luck to run the official race course during the practice sessions.

If you're looking for your own International Pancake Day treat, Country Crunch Pancakes are good for breakfast ... or for a breakfast-themed lunch or supper. The topping mixture offers another layer of flavor and subtle crunch. And Randy is always a fan of added blueberries. I used frozen blueberries, since there weren't fresh ones at my local grocery store. 

Kinley & Brooke are fans of breakfast, too - at any meal of the day! 

Photo from 2020 - I need an updated pancake picture! 

Whether you make pancakes or not, I'll leave you with the traditional blessing bestowed upon the pancake race winner - whether in Liberal or Olney:

The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

These days, we can take all the PEACE we can get.

 

 

Country Crunch Pancakes

From Taste of Home

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-1/4 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, optional

CRUNCHY TOPPING:
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup chopped slivered almonds
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a bowl, combine flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Combine buttermilk, eggs and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in blueberries if desired.
Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle about 1 teaspoon for each pancake onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Pour 1/4 cup of batter over topping; immediately sprinkle with another teaspoonful of topping. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancake; cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with your favorite syrup.

 

NOTE: I did use frozen blueberries, since fresh ones weren't available at my local store. I also made my "buttermilk" by combining vinegar and milk.

 

 

 

Flipping for Pancakes

It's always a good day to flip for pancakes. But if you need an excuse to celebrate pancakes, International Pancake Day is Tuesday, February 28.

It seems there's a day for every food these days. There are days delighting in doughnuts. There are days for sandwiches, hamburger and hot dogs. Pie gets more than one day. But Pancake Day is especially important  in Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England. For the past 68 years, the women of the two communities have raced down the streets of their respective communities, flipping pancakes and running against the clock and each other. The race is always on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It's the only race of its kind in the world.

In Olney, the Pancake Race tradition dates back to 1445. Legend has it that a woman was busy making pancakes and using up cooking fats, which were forbidden during Lent at that time. Hearing the church bells ring to announce the Shrove Tuesday service, she grabbed her head scarf and ran to the church, with pancake-filled skillet in hand. In following years, neighbors joined the race to the church. The first to arrive collected a Kiss of Peace from the bell ringer.

Photo from the International Pancake Day Facebook page: Liberal's Billie Warden crosses the finish line in 1950. Billie won the local race with a time of 1:18 but lost to Olney's Florence Callow, who finished in 1:10.4.

The international race with Liberal began in 1950, when Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete saw a photo of the English race in Time magazine and then contacted Olney, challenging their women to race against the women of Liberal.

Racers must still wear a head scarf and apron. Each runner flips her pancake at the starting signal and again as she crosses the finish line to prove she still has her pancake after running the 415-yard course. The overall record stands at 37 wins for Liberal to Olney's 29. (Liberal lost last year, so it's time for a Kansas victory, don't you think?)

Image from International Pancake Day website,
2011 Liberal winner Nicole Schowengerdt

According to the book, America Celebrates! A Patchwork of Weird & Wonderful Holiday Lore, some superstitions have evolved among Liberal racers:

• It is considered good luck to carry a past winner's skillet in the race or wear a past winner's apron.
• One year, the stack of concrete pancakes marking the starting point of the race was stolen. This was considered a bad omen, but the stack was later returned.
• Although the women practice running 415 yards, it is considered bad luck to run the official race course during the practice sessions.

I flip for pancakes anytime, not just on International Pancake Day. So I decided to try out a new recipe. I love to eat out for breakfast, but we don't get to do it all that often. On a couple of trips home from K-State ballgames, we've stopped at IHOP for breakfast. I had a new favorite - Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. But the last time we stopped, they were no longer on the menu. (For the record, the waitress said I'm not the only one who has asked for them since they disappeared from the menu.)

I'm not sure whether I liked the pancakes more or the cream cheese topping. Thankfully, the cream cheese topping is still an option at IHOP, and I chose that to top my Harvest Pancakes there during our last stop.

However, now that I found this recipe from Cooking on the Front Burner, I can make the whole shebang at home!

I'm an advocate of breakfast-for-supper, so if you want to celebrate Shrove Tuesday in a way that's been a tradition since 1455, here's the recipe. And you don't even have to wear a head scarf or run a race to enjoy them!

Whether you make pancakes or not, I'll leave you with the traditional blessing bestowed upon the winner - whether it be in Liberal or Olney:

The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

with Cream Cheese Glaze

From Cooking on the Front Burner blog

Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Glaze
1/4 cup butter
3 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 to 4 tbsp. milk

Pancakes:  Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and the salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the milk mixture and use a spoon to stir the two mixtures until combined. The batter will have small lumps in it and will be quite thick.

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. A few drops of water should skittle across the griddle and evaporate. Lightly spray skillet or griddle with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet or griddle. When pancake edges look dry and bubbles start to appear on the top surfaces of the pancake, turn over. Once flipped, cook another 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the middle.

Glaze:  Mix together the butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk, using a mixer to make it smooth. (I tried doing it by hand and it was lumpy.) If it's too thick, add another tablespoon (or more) or milk. Serve over warm pancakes. Top with pecans or fruit, if desired. Store leftover glaze in refrigerator.

Want to Have a Little Ground Hog Today?

Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow this morning. That will probably come as good news to the people scooping snow out of feed bunks this morning. We got 0.40" of rain and no snow here in Central Kansas.

I don't know how much I believe a weather forecast from a furry rodent surrounded by cheesy guys in top hats and tails. However, it may be as accurate as forecasts this winter from the pros ... just sayin'!

Today is Groundhog Day. This was the 130th time that Punxsutawney Phil (or his ancestors) had made the February 2 prediction. According to legend, if Phil sees his shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If the day is overcast and he doesn't see his shadow, there is supposed to be an early spring.

This morning in Punxsutawney, Philadelpia, the groundhog came out of his burrow at Gobbler's Knob. The world - or at least the TV morning shows - watched. No shadow! Spring is on the way.

Well, we'll see.

The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earlier settlers. It stemmed from a combination of religious beliefs and facts associated with hibernating animals. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day.

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.

We got a jump on Groundhog Day around here yesterday by eating a little "ground hog." I fixed breakfast for lunch. Phil had nothing to fear. It was really sausage.

I have fond memories of Batter-Dipped French Toast as a Kansas State University dorm resident. I usually showed up for breakfast. (It is the most important meal of the day, you know.) But on the days when Batter-Dipped French Toast was on the menu, there was even more incentive.

I lived in West Hall, which was served by the Derby Dining hall on the K-State campus. When my dorm put together a cookbook in 1978, Batter-Dipped French Toast was one of the recipes included. I haven't made it for years, but I saw it when leafing through the old recipe book and decided it would be a great accompaniment to my "ground hog."

I am a big proponent of breakfast for any meal of the day. So, whether you eat it for breakfast, lunch or supper, it's sure to warm you up on a cold day. Enjoy!

Batter-Dipped French Toast

from the cookbook, The Sun Rises In West Hall's Kitchen

2 eggs
1 tbsp. oil
2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. milk
2/3 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups flour
2/3 tsp. baking powder
6 slices of 1-inch thick Texas toast bread
Oil for frying
Powdered sugar
Syrup & fruit, as desired

Heat oil in deep skillet to about 400 degrees. Beat eggs on high speed for 2 minutes. Add milk and oil on low speed. Combine dry ingredients. Add to egg mixture; mix until smooth. Dip bread slices in batter, coating both sides. Deep-fat fry until golden brown on both sides. Cut into triangles. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with warm syrup and fruits, as desired.

(Note: I did sprinkle with powdered sugar, but it melted on the hot toast. I should have sprinkled a bit more for the photos.)

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Today, I'm linked to the Weekend Potluck. Check out the hosts of the weekly recipe swap at:

• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary
• Served Up With Love ~ Melissa
• The Country Cook~ Brandie

Flipping for Pancakes

It's Pancake Day today in Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England. So I thought I'd celebrate with them.

For the past 65 years, the women of the two communities have raced down the streets of their respective communities, flipping pancakes and running against the clock and each other. The race is always on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It's the only race of its kind in the world.

In Olney, the Pancake Race tradition dates back to 1445. Legend has it that a woman was busy making pancakes and using up cooking fats, which were forbidden during Lent at that time. Hearing the church bells ring to announce the Shrove Tuesday service, she grabbed her head scarf and ran to the church, with pancake-filled skillet in hand. In following years, neighbors joined the race to the church. The first to arrive collected a Kiss of Peace from the bell ringer.

The international race with Liberal began in 1950, when Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete saw a photo of the English race in Time magazine and then contacted Olney, challenging their women to race against the women of Liberal.

Racers must still wear a head scarf and apron. Each runner must flip her pancake at the starting signal and again as she crosses the finish line to prove she still has her pancake after running the 415-yard course. The overall record stands at 36 wins for Liberal to Olney's 27. (Liberal has lost the past two years, so it's time for a Kansas victory, don't you think?)

Image from International Pancake Day website,
2011 Liberal winner Nicole Schowengerdt

According to the book, America Celebrates! A Patchwork of Weird & Wonderful Holiday Lore, some superstitions have evolved among Liberal racers:

• It is considered good luck to carry a past winner's skillet in the race or wear a past winner's apron.
• One year, the stack of concrete pancakes marking the starting point of the race was stolen. This was considered a bad omen, but the stack was later returned.
• Although the women practice running 415 yards, it is considered bad luck to run the official race course during the practice sessions.

I flip for pancakes anytime, not just on International Pancake Day. So I decided to try out a new recipe for Coconut Pancakes and Coconut Syrup in honor of today's festivities, though I actually made the pancakes earlier to make sure they were blog worthy. They were.

I'm an advocate of breakfast-for-supper, so if you want to celebrate Shrove Tuesday in a way that's been a tradition since 1455, here's the recipe. And you don't even have to wear a head scarf or run a race to enjoy them!

Whether you make pancakes today or not, I'll leave you with the traditional blessing bestowed upon the winner - whether it be in Liberal or Olney:

The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

Coconut Pancakes

From She Wears Many Hats blog

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup coconut milk (not coconut water)
1 tbsp. melted butter
Additional butter or cooking spray

Lightly mix together all dry ingredients. Mix all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until incorporated. Don't overmix. In a skillet or on a griddle over medium-hot heat, drop rounds of batter (about 1/4 cup). Let cook until bubbles begin to pop in center of the pancake, about 2 minutes. Flip pancake and cook for an additional minute or so until golden brown. Test cook surface and temperature, and adjust cook time accordingly.

Serve with Coconut Syrup (or traditional syrup). I had fresh blueberries in the fridge, so we also used some of them on top.  And I sprinkled with toasted coconut, mainly for the picture, but it was pretty tasty, too.

Coconut Syrup

From Jamie Cooks It Up blog

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 to 2 tsp. coconut extract

Place butter in a medium-sized saucepan, and melt over medium high heat. Add buttermilk and sugar. Stir together. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and let it boil 1 minute.

Remove from heat and add baking soda and coconut extract. The syrup will start to foam up and bubble. (That's why it's important to use a medium pan and not a small one.) Let it sit for about 5 minutes. It will thicken slightly as it cools. However, it is still foamy (just FYI!).

Need some other ideas for pancakes (or waffles)? Try these:

  Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes  with Blueberry Sauce.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Brown Butter

 

Cinnamon Cream Syrup

Copycat from Nashville's Pancake Pantry

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I'm linked to Wichita blogger Ashley's Wake Up Wednesdays feature. Click on the link for loads of other tried and tested recipes.