Recipe: Apple & Cider Brandy Pancakes

A grown-up pancake recipe to make the most of Shrove Tuesday. 

We are based in Somerset, the apple and cider heartland of England, so we wanted to use some of the amazing apple-based products from our wonderful suppliers. 

The Somerset Cider Brandy Co. was granted the UK’s first ever cider distilling licence in 1989 and has been making amazing apple brandy using heritage varieties ever since.  Liberty Fields, based in Dorset, make the most amazing apple syrup (and apple balsamic) - the only ingredient is apples grown in their orchard. Over 2kg of apples go into each bottle. It’s a West Country answer to maple syrup with incredible depth of flavour, making it a delicious alternative for glazing a ham, which we wholeheartedly recommend.

 

Makes around 6 pancakes

For the pancakes:

150g Plain Flour

220ml Milk

2 Medium Eggs

 

For the apples:

6 Apples (peeled and diced - I use a mix of Bramley and Cox’s)

50g Butter

50g Soft Brown Sugar

50ml Cider Brandy

Sea Salt (small pinch)

 

To serve:

Pourable double cream

Liberty fields apple syrup

 

• Make the pancake batter by pouring the milk and cracking the eggs into a mixing bowl.
• Mix to incorporate. Add the flour and whisk well until there are no lumps. You are looking for a pouring cream consistency for nice, thin, crepe-like pancakes. Leave to one side while you make the apple filling.
• Heat a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the diced apple and half of the butter, and cook for 5 minutes until starting to brown. Add the rest of the butter and the brown sugar.
• Pour in the brown sugar and pinch of salt, raise the heat and reduce until the apples are starting to break down in the pan.
• Now add the cider brandy, it may flame a little, so be careful.