Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday does have a serious religious message. It was the feast dinner before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. What follows is 40 days of fasting till the arrival of Easter. Shrove Tuesday allowed early Christians a chance to cook eggs and fats that where likely to go bad during the fast. On the same day Christians are encouraged to go to confession where they would be "shriven" meaning "absolved of all sins".

Basic Batter

200g Shipton Mill Flour

250ml Cotteswold Dairy Milk

150ml Single Cream

3 Cotswold Legbar Eggs

1 Tbl Spoon Sugar

2 Tbl Spoons Oil

Knob of Homeliegh Butter

Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the cream, eggs, sugar and oil and beat all well till a smooth batter.

Leave to rest for 1 hour. Beat again just before cooking. The above will make 20 Pancakes 15cm or 6 inches in diameter.

To cook them melt a little butter in a shallow frying pan or Crepe pan if you have one. Pour of any surplus fat. Tilt the pan a little, pour in some batter and swirl it around the pan to spread evenly and wafer thin. Once golden and firm on the bottom either toss or flip with a wide palette knife.To serve- sprinkle with caster sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. Fold into quarters and serve. Top with fresh Vanilla Ice Cream.

Ideas for fillings:

Apricots in Rum

Hot Chocolate Sauce

Maple Syrup and Almonds

Wild Mushrooms

Cerney Goats Cheese and Watercress

Bananas and Butterscotch

Cherries and Sour Cream

Pineapple and Coconut

Honey and Lime

Or - see what's in the fridge chop it all together and chuck it in!

As for the flipping if you want to impress members of your family you may need to practice secretly first. The tip for a good "flip" is to have the pancake at the right thickness and indeed nicely cooked on the bottom side. You need the minimal amount of fat so it doesn't go all gloopy and then a good firm flick of the wrist. Traditionally if the lady of a household can toss a pancake perfectly on the first go then she will never be short of money.