How To: Mancakes (Father's Day Special)

Hey Nibblers!

           Father's Day is just around the corner for those of us in the land down under (Sunday September 7th to be exact). My Dad is so hard to buy for. He spoils himself with things he wants so I never have the chance to swoop in. I've also reached the age where handmade 'I Love Dad' cards are never completed due to time constraints so instead, I've turned to homemade breakfast instead.
           Pancakes are one of my favourite breakfast treats. They're easy to make and so versatile because you can enjoy them sweet or savoury. My inspiration for my 'Mancakes' came from my lovely cousin, Kelly. Back when we were in London together, she made me pancakes with bacon bits and a fried egg in the middle. It was the perfect combination of flavours and textures. So, with her in mind, I created my own version that would guarantee Dad's approval.

How To: Mancakes

Made some Mancakes with a side of Pancakes

yields 6-8 mancakes depending on the size of your frypan and preference Mancake size
What you'll need:
Cake batter:
- 1 cup or 150g of plain flour
- 1 cup or 250mL of milk
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla essence
- 1 Tbs. lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. sugar
- 1 egg
- 25g melted butter
Man batter:
- 200g of minced beef (or whatever you prefer)
- 100g of diced bacon (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbs. mixed herbs
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional - for spice)

How To: Mancakes

Pancakes cooking away

1. Mix 'Man batter' i.e. minced beef, salt, mixed herbs, bacon and cayenne pepper then set aside
2. Sift baking powder, flour and sugar into a bowl, make a well in the centre then set aside
3. Mix lemon juice, milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla essence until well incorporated
4. Add wet mixture into the well of the dry ingredients bowl and stir until it becomes a runny paste with no lumps then set aside in a jug
5. Heat frypan to medium heat then fry off 'Man batter' mixture by constantly coating to ensure the minced beef breaks apart into small clusters then leave to cool for 10 minutes
6. Add cooked 'Man batter' into 'Cake batter' and stir
7. Re-heat saucepan to low to medium heat and pour Mancake batter into the centre
             Note: if you wanted to be more fancy, crack an egg into the frypan first before adding batter to make a complete breakfast. Just be wary that flipping the pancake is more challenging due to its weight. End process will taste great but it might not look as pretty and circular. It's the thought that counts though, right?
8. Cook one side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown before flipping to the other side and repeating the cooking process
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until you've finished the batter
10. Enjoy!

Ultimate Mancake. I forgot to take a picture of the end result
due to the state it was in. But man, was it delicious!

      I love how simple these were to make and took about half an hour all up. They tasted great and it's a nice twist on the classic pancake. If the 'Mancake' isn't your type of thing, simply ignore the 'Man batter' component and enjoy the pancakes on their own. It's quick and they tasted deliciously fluffy. You will definitely be in Dad's good books for the day.
     Hope you enjoyed this post and let me know in the comments below if you've given this a try!

Mancakes with maple syrup because why not? 

Happy (early) Father's Day to those Dads out there,
Nibble Away,

             Jo.