Pancake Day – the one day of the year when your kitchen becomes a flour-dusted battleground, and the question isn’t if you’ll be flipping, but how high. Whether you’re a lemon and sugar purist or a Nutella maximalist, there’s something undeniably joyful about a stack of paper-thin crêpes fresh from the pan and folded to perfection.

But the secret to silky, golden crêpes? It’s all in the batter. Well, that and a little bit of patience. This foolproof recipe from Sweet Treats With Bonne Maman will give you whisper-thin pancakes with crispy edges, ready to be piled high with your favourite toppings. Whether you’re flipping for breakfast, lunch or a late-night indulgence (because why not?), consider this your ultimate Pancake Day go-to.

Crêpes with jam

Makes 15-20

Preparation time: 10 minutes + resting

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 260g plain (all-purpose) flour, sieved
• 2½ tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 medium eggs
• 50g butter, melted + a little more for the pan
• 500ml milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp golden rum (optional)

Serving

• 370g jam of your choice
• Yoghurt (optional)

Method

Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs, melted butter and, gradually, the milk, whisking continuously to avoid the formation of any lumps. Add the vanilla extract and rum (if using). Ideally, leave the batter to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat a knob of butter in a frying pan, pour a ladleful of the batter into the melted butter, then spread it evenly all over the surface of the pan. Cook over a medium heat until the crêpe comes away from the pan, then turn it over and cook the other side for 1 or 2 minutes. Repeat until all the batter is used up. Serve with the jam of your choice.

Sweet Treats With Bonne Maman by Ilona Chovancova (White Lion, £14.99)     

Images: Quarto Publishing