#FitFruitFriday - Skinny Shrove Tuesday

Christmas has come and gone and all dieters had a collective sigh of relief that the yearly temptation was out of the way. However, we always seem to forget about Shrove Tuesday: Pancake Day. Especially if you have children or just a particularly hungry housemate, it's hard to avoid the tempting scent of pancakes frying. Whether you like them thin and crispy or soft and fluffy, we have the recipes for you to enjoy them without worrying about your waistline!

Low Fat Crepe Recipe:

• 112g Plain Flour
• 2 Eggs
• 210 ml Skimmed or Semi Skimmed Milk
• 90 ml Water

Combine the milk and water then sift the flour into a seperate bowl. Make a hole in the middle of the flour and add the eggs into it. Whisk in the eggs whilst adding small amounts of the milk and water mixture at a time until it is all combined. Heat up the frying pan to medium-high then add 2 sprays of low fat cooking spray. Put 2 tbsp worth of batter onto the pan then tip so that the batter covers the entire bottom of the pan. After approx 20 seconds (or when the edges are crispy) flip the pancake over, cooking the other side for a few seconds. Put straight onto a warm plate and continue with the rest!

Low Fat Fluffy American Pancake Recipe:

• 100g plain flour
• 40g porridge oats
• 4 tbsp granulated sweetner
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 120ml fat free plain yoghurt
• 5 tbsp skimmed milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp sunflower oil

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a seperate bowl then beat into the dry ingredients to create a smooth batter. Heat a frying pan to a medium heat then spray  all over with low-fat cooking spray. Drop 3 seperate tablespoons of batter onto the pan apart from each other. Once bubbles appear on the surface of the batter, flip over and cook for approx 1-2 minutes or until the underside is golden. Put straight onto a warm plate and continue with the rest!

Fruity Fillings

Now's the time to get creative and there's nothing healthier (or tastier) than adding fruit to your pancakes rather than chocolate or sugar! 

Fruit For The Office's Top Tip: If having crepes, use fruit as a topping. If having American Style pancakes then we find it much tastier to add the fruit chopped up into small pieces straight into the batter!

• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Banana
• Cranberries
• Apple (with 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon)
• Cherries
• Strawberries

Let us know how much you enjoy these recipes on Tuesday and make sure to tell us if we've forgotten you're favourite fruit pancake filling!

Photo Credit: | 1 |

Perfect Pancakes in 10 Steps

Shrove Tuesday is just around the corner, and whether you’re giving something up for lent or not, we all like to indulge in pancake day.

From the traditional lemon sugar topping to the more creative – think chocolate spread, bananas and raisins….. you can’t beat a good pancake.

However ‘good’ is the key word and a good pancake can be hard to make if you’re not sure where to start. But fear not; simply follow this Fruit For The Office pancake recipe and you’ll be well on your way to deliciously light pancakes.

Makes 8 pancakes

                                                                                                           

Ingredients	Tools
100g plain flour	Non stick frying pan
2 eggs	Ladle
300ml semi skimmed milk	Sieve
2 tbsp of sunflower of vegetable oil	Whisk
Pinch of salt	Kitchen Roll
2tbsp melted butter

1. Sift all of the flour into a bowl holding the sieve a few inches above the bowl in order to get as much air into the flour as possible – this helps to make your pancakes floaty light. Add the salt, then make a small well in the middle of the flour

2. Break both eggs into the middle off the well, begin to whisk from the centre, bringing the flour into the centre from the outside. Keep whisking until a smooth thick paste has formed

3. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously until you have a smooth batter the consistency of single cream

4. Melt the butter in the microwave or a pan, add the melted butter to the batter and stir in

5. Leave the mixture to rest for 10 minutes

6. Scrunch up some kitchen towel into a small ball, then dip one side into some cooking oil. Then wipe the oil across the bottom of your non stick pan, ensure than the entire base is covered with a thin film of oil then place the pan on the fire

7. When the pan is very hot take a ladle of the batter and place some in the centre of the frying pan. Tilt the pan around until the batter fills the whole pan. Tip - it's best to pour the batter into the pan in one go, so make sure your have enough in your laddle

8. Leave the pancake to cook on one side for 30 seconds or until the edges begin to look brown and a little crispy

9. Flipping – the easy way: Take a spatula and ease the pancake from the bottom of the pan. Lift up one side of the pancake, using the spatula, then in one swift movement flick your wrist to turn the pancake over. 

10. Leave for a another 30 seconds on the other side

Time to take it out, fill it up and enjoy!