Quick American Style Pancakes

A special breakfast doesn't have to be a chore, this easy recipe for American pancakes takes just minutes and has minimal washing up to boot! You could also use the same amount of plain flour and 1 tsp of baking powder but I prefer self-raising flour for a fluffier result.

Ingredients
- 135g/4¾oz self raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 130ml/4½fl oz milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp melted butter (allowed to cool slightly) or olive oil, plus extra for cooking
To serve
- Maple syrup
- Butter

Method
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a large bowl. Add the milk and egg, and then whisk in the melted butter. You could melt your butter in the frying pan you are about to use to minimise washing up.
2. Beat until you have a smooth batter. Any lumps will soon disappear with a little mixing. Let the batter stand for a few minutes.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter. When it's melted, add a ladle of batter (or two if your frying pan is big enough to cook two pancakes at the same time). It will seem very thick but this is how it should be. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown.
4. Repeat until all the batter is used up. You can keep the pancakes warm in a low oven, but they taste best fresh out the pan.
5. Serve with lashings of real maple syrup and extra butter if you like.