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Original poster

Pancake party - catering - HELP!!

33 replies

Skyler · 08/02/2007 20:02

A friend and I are organising the catering for a Pancake party on Shrove Tuesday. We are expecting 75 people, a mixture of adults and children. So....how many pancakes do we need?? We are also doing teacakes for those who don't like pancakes. There will be games and tea coffee squash etc so the Pancakes aren't the sole attraction (although I think they might be )
We thought 100 pancakes and 50 teacakes. Opinions please?? DH has already said he would eat 5 but the dd's will only have one between them??
We are doing lemon and sugar and syrup as toppings and butter and jam for the teacakes.
TIA.

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DimpledThighs · 08/02/2007 20:25

I'd do more than that TBH - maybe 200 pancakes - people really like them and there are never enough. You can make them in advance and freeze them. I made 50 for the school fete (I think I used 6 eggs) and it took about an hour with two frying pans on the go.

Teacakes? Are there actually people who do not like pancakes?

Original poster
Skyler · 08/02/2007 20:28

Lol - I actually agree about the teacakes!! But the committee deemed it a good idea. It is not a fund raiser or anything so we have been given the go ahead to buy ready made pancakes .
You really think 200 though .
I originally said 150......
Anyone else???
The evening starts at 6pm BTW so eating time too.....

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PandaG · 08/02/2007 20:30

I think at least 200 too. If you buy pancakes you can at least sell off any unopened packages at he end of the night.

Califrau · 08/02/2007 20:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Flumpytina · 08/02/2007 20:39

I did a pancake party for dd1 last year. Am trying to remember how many I did, I think I worked on about 3 each (just small thin crepes rather than mega stodgy ones). They ALL went as the Mummies snaffled them all up after the kids had finished.

I would definately plan on 2 (or more) for anyone age 3+.

I made all mine the day before and put a circle of grease proof paper in between each one, then stacked them in 10's and wrapped them up in foil. On the day I just warmed them up in a low oven for about half an hour or so before the kids started eating. Don't attemt this without the paper in between (my mum has made this mistake before) you just end up with one mega stuck together pancake.

Toppings: Lemon & sugar (none of the kids ate this!!)
Chocolate sauce
Golden Syrup
Jam
Chopped bananas
Squirty cream
Hundreds & Thousands

Good luck, I love pancake parties but your hair (and house) will stink of the damn things!

Original poster
Skyler · 08/02/2007 20:39

Cinnamon is a good idea, thank you. Easy too. I can see we were going to under cater . Thank goodness I asked. Right I think 200 too now . What about the teacakes then???? Oh blimey. Why did we say we could do this? I hate making decisions.

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Original poster
Skyler · 08/02/2007 20:40

Thanks Flumpytina. That is a TOP TOP TOP tip about the greaseproof paper. I wouldn't have done that!!!!

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Califrau · 08/02/2007 20:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Flumpytina · 08/02/2007 20:48

droooooooooooooooooooooool

nutella & banana & a little bit of squirty cream on the top!

PandaG · 08/02/2007 20:51

Decent ice cream and maple syrup. I am doing a pancake party at home, could be upo to 16 adults and similar amount of children, so will be making a huge pile during the day and layering with greaseproof, and cooking some on the night, flipping them is fun!

I do savoury fillings too - grilled bacon, mushrooms, grated cheese, sliced tomatoes - Mmmmmm

pointydog · 08/02/2007 20:53

It's a pancake party - ditch the tea cakes. I'm amazed you're having a pancake party for 75 people. They're fiddly devils.

Lemon & sugar - oh yes, the classico.

You must have nutella as a filing option. Classico numero duo.

Do you mean crepe pancakes? Will they be hot? Are you buying them all in?

I agree with 200. Everyone loves pancakes.

pointydog · 08/02/2007 20:54

Are you making 200 crepes?

Original poster
Skyler · 08/02/2007 20:56

I won't be doing it on my own thankfully but my friend and I are organising buying in the food side of things. The kitchen in the hall is well equipped with a big serving area.
Nutella sounds like a good idea then. I haven't tried that myself. Right 200 pancakes and not many teacakes then

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Original poster
Skyler · 08/02/2007 20:58

Lol, yes crepes and yes DEFFO buying them in. I am starting to stock up tomorrow...
Going use lots of tin foil and greaseproof paper by the sound of things. I love this site. I would have made a pigs ear of this without you all .

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pointydog · 08/02/2007 21:02

Skyler - you are making 200 pancakes for 75 people. You could still make a pig's ear of it

Wishing you all the luck in pancake world

Original poster
Skyler · 08/02/2007 21:07

. I see where you are coming from .

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DimpledThighs · 09/02/2007 10:26

Skyler - it will be fine and fun and everyone will love it.

As I said before I did them for the bonfire party at school - I was worried about doing so many be I needed of - it was fine.

Making the batter is the same as normal just in much larger quantities, get extra stuff in so you can make up more if need to but as it's eggs, flour and milk it won't go to waste. Put a tablesoon of oil of melted butter in as this really helps.

Get two pans going if you can - decent pans are much better. I was going to have two and borrowed my dad's but ended up using just his as I realised mine was rubbish - the pan it the key!

Have a dish with oil and kitchen towel adn wipe round in between pancakes - the less oil the better and the hoter the pan the better.

Get a ladle and you will work out how much batter you need and will become expert at putting the right amount in. Pancakes take 30 secs per side so but the time you have wiped the pan, put in batter swirled it will be time to turn the next one over. You will get a kind of production line thing going.

Have your greaseproof circles ready and find something good on the radio. I did this after a sunday roast one afternoon adn it was most relaxing.

Don't panic!

pointydog · 09/02/2007 13:56

har har!

dimply, are you really suggesting skyler makes 200 crepes in a couple of frying pans herself?!

har!

DimpledThighs · 09/02/2007 14:34

yup - I've been there pointy!

pointydog · 09/02/2007 17:26

Sometimes I make a batch of 12 pancakes. And it takes me best part of an hour.

Twelve.
One hour.

Two hundred...

DimpledThighs · 09/02/2007 18:59

oh no hang on she is doing 100, her friend is doing half.

How can making 12 pancakes take an hour? Are you including 30 mins to rest the batter?

An hour?

12?

Anyways Skyler - if I was you aim to do 50 a day or so before and interlay with greaseproof as suggested earlier. If you find this takes you 4hours than go out and buy a load of teacakes!

But I am reckoning on less than an hour (not including batter resting time)

DizzyBint · 09/02/2007 19:06

oh dear good job i'm not coming, i eat at least 10 myself...

Original poster
Skyler · 09/02/2007 19:15

Lol at some of these comments.
Thanks for the vote of confidence Dimpled Thighs. I am stickng my fingers in my ears and going lalalalalalalalalalala to Pointy . It will be fun!
And anyway Tesco do packs of 8 traditional pancakes that I will be buying in bulk and only resorting to frying my own 100 if I can't get enough.....Will be stocking up asap. Perhaps this is why the other committee members suggested the tea cakes lol.

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pointydog · 09/02/2007 19:20

I am a pancake under-achiever. Ok ok, I wasn't being totally truthful. The hour includes making a savoury filling and heating it all in the oven.

But that's me at my pancake limit. Any more tossing and I'd go ape.

Original poster
Skyler · 09/02/2007 19:46

Snigger at Pointy's tossing capacity

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