Come tell me I’m an awful mum

[PancakeDisaster]

Pancake day obviously

I always dread it. I’m a fairly ok cook but there are two things I can’t do, fry anything or mash anything. I burn fried stuff or undercook it and I can never get none lumpy mash.

I had ago at making pancakes for DD and I.

Whatever I did it didn’t work as it came out lumpy and uncooked in the middle.

DD (aged 7) is now crying saying all her friends at school will be having pancakes and it’s not fair – she’s right, from FB I can see at least 20 of the 26 in her class have had pancakes today. She’s stomped off to her room after telling me she hates me.

Just me and her at home so no-one else to have another attempt. I’ve used all my milk, flour and eggs trying to make them, I had several attempts.

Why am I so useless? Tell me I’m an awful mother and she’s never going to forgive me.

DD doesn't like the ready made pancakes (finds them salty) and last year I had one of those ready made batters and it still went wrong!

Oh OP this made me laugh! I hate oancake day, and making pancakes. My children forgot this year and I did not remind them!

May I recommend, as one clueless cook to another, the Good Housekeeping cookbook. It is the only book I use ans always to check recipes for this sort of thing which I can't just fudge.

Leaving the batter to stand in the fridge for at least 30 minutes makes a big difference, I do mine the night before, then give it a good stir so the flour isn't all at the bottom before ladling it into hot oiled pan so it just covers the pan as thinly as possible. It is something to do with the starch in the flour expanding.

If you can't make pancakes why didn't you buy ready made ones and lots of toppings abs make it fun that way?

I forgot it was pancake day.

I have made some but they are awful. It's a bit of a joke in our house that I can't make pancakes and they end with a messed up pile of dough which they cover in syrup.

We laugh about it. I would not be happy with a 7 year old stropping off.

@IlFaitBeau

I don’t think the pancakes are the failure/issue here.

As the parent of a 6 year old who sees both parents constantly tired and making sub standard pancakes (!) - I can’t imagine him saying next year he hates us in any context at all. It’s appalling behaviour and I don’t understand how you’re allowing it (or why she feels able to say that)

Many kids say they hate their parents, it is just an expression, they don't mean it. You challenge them and move on.

All my kids said unreasonable things when young, all grew into lovely kind adults. It is important not to over react to immature behaviour.

OP you sound lovely! Can't think of a nicer mum than one who throws herself at pancake making, uses up all her stuff with multiple attempts even though she's a crap cook, then freaks out about it and posts on Mumsnet. Your DD is lucky she has such a caring mum!

If you're going to try a youtube video, don't try this one.

@EdenFlower

Pancakes are so easy, anyone who can't Make one must be pretty useless! How on earth do manage to get through life if simple tasks prove such a bloody challenge?

I can't make them. And I can cook and bake pretty much anything. Pancakes - nope My mum can whip up a celebration cake or a roast for 30 people without blinking. She can't make scones

I fucked the pancakes up tonight so don't worry your not the only one they are tricky little fuckers to cook

Buy pre made warm in pan.
Or get one of the crepe hot plates it's the only way I can do them. It took some practice.
Have an extra special pancake day tomorrow and buy them or if u have the funds go to a pancake place? Like a gelato cafe

All my kids said unreasonable things when young, all grew into lovely kind adults. It is important not to over react to immature behaviour.

Totally this.

I remember that Yvette Fielding pancake episode. Hilarious!

At least you had a go.
I’m no cook either but find good recipes on bbc recipes website. (By good I mean easy)…
I make the pancake batter and if poss don’t use it straight away - keep covered in cling film in a jig in the fridge, if poss. Either way give it another whisk before thinly coating a hot frying pan with a sizzling knob of butter, followed by the mixture - not too much - use a palette knife or spatula to run around the edges keep lifting up the edges to ensure no sticking, see how it’s cooking, etc then the compulsory flip…my dear Grandchildren love my pancakes any time of year now (took me a while to perfect ) ;0) don’t stress and make up with your little one xxx

I can't make pancakes either. It's one thing I've never been able to cook. I made some slimy greasy travesties of pancakes tonight with my DS, but redeemed myself by having bought chocolate cream and sprinkles.

Could you put your DD in charge of making pancakes next year? Give her the ingredients and recipe, let her make up the mix and then put it in a squeezy bottle for squeezing into the pan (much less mess than ladling). Then if they don't work out, you can always strop up to your room saying pancake day is ruined .

Shes 7, cant she do the weighing & mixing and you do the frying?

She wants to try my childhood, my dm just stopped doing things for me when she decided I was old enough.

The only way we can get pancakes to work is to buy the shakers that you just add water too. No idea why I can’t flip or turn anything in a frying pan so it’s left to DH who is usually a brilliant cook.

We always buy a pack of ready made pancakes as a back up.

OP,

The hand held blender for soups is brilliant for whisking up the pancakes.

I mix oil, water, milk, salt and sugar, 2 large eggs (whisk this first with hand whisk) for every 100 grams of flour.

Perfect fluffly, lumpless, every time.

I haven’t read the full thread, but this is amazing for mash and whisking - should solve pancakes and potato issues!

www.currys.co.uk/products/braun-multiquick-9-mq9187xli-hand-blender-black-10226203.html?store=2402&&istCompanyId=bec25c7e-cbcd-460d-81d5-a25372d2e3d7&istFeedId=2928af81-b29b-476c-a180-ac5de265a98e&istItemId=piimqtpia&istBid=t&srcid=198&cmpid=ppc~gg~0130%20(Shopping%20Ads)%20SDA%20-%20SKA%20-%20FOOD%20PREPERATION%20-%20Generic%20-%20%20SSC%202021~All%20Food%20Prep~Exact&mctag=gg_goog_7904&kwid=GOOGLE&device=c&ds_kids=92700067211611309&tgtid=0130%20(Shopping%20Ads)%20SDA%20-%20SKA%20-%20FOOD%20PREPERATION%20-%20Generic%20-%20%20SSC%202021&gclid=CjwKCAiApfeQBhAUEiwA7K_UHycT702i-GjdP1aC60f8Poq3Ftiw4u5SbmmV0CEhLWV8iHQWplS5axoCYqQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Here's a recipe for amazing pancakes.... I promise it's super easy too :

www.itsalwaysautumn.com/how-to-make-perfect-fluffy-pancakes-super-easy-recipe.html

Part of the fun of pancakes is the mess they often end up in! They all taste the same and I use a dry mix, so just need to add water and an egg. I never flip, I use a iron griddle pan and turn by using a spatula and if they hold together fine and if they fall apart, then I scrap them onto the plate!!

Follow a recipe until you can do it by eye.
Non stick pan.
Highish heat.
Seen some people using oil on here - I always use a knob of butter, just to season the pan - you can use a pastry brush or wipe a bit on with kitchen roll.
Pour in enough to coat about 2/3 of the pan and then tip it a bit to swirl as much of the edges as you can.
Leave until the surface starts to dry out - couple of minutes - then lift an edge to see if it is browning slightly. If so it's ready to turn. Repeat on other side.

There's lots of ready made pancakes you can try and if she doesn't like any of them it's just tough, the American ones from Aldi are really nice. Just keep practicing and if you can't do it then it's not the end of the world, kids can't have everything they want when they want. Also whip your mash with an electronic whisk if you can't mash out lumps, lots of salt, butter add splash of milk, delish 😍

Ah well doesn’t matter
If you’ve got no ingredients left now then there’s nothing you can do is there. She’ll get over it.
If you want to master it then practice just making them for pudding when it’s not pancake day.
Delia’s basic pancake recipe works for me

When you say ‘not cooked in the middle’ that makes me thing you’re trying to make them thick.
I would just go for delia’s classic thin ones and not too much mixture,
There shouldn’t really be a ‘middle’ with those

[quote Lb603]Here's a recipe for amazing pancakes.... I promise it's super easy too :

www.itsalwaysautumn.com/how-to-make-perfect-fluffy-pancakes-super-easy-recipe.html[/quote]
Fluffy pancakes? What sort of abomination is this?

Nonstick frying pan is the way forward. I'm rubbish at this stuff too. I made pancakes this morning with just two eggs, flour and milk. It worked fine but before I could never do it, the pan makes all the difference