Breakfast pancakes

Makes 10 -12

I used to make these American pancakes using Nigella Lawson's recipe for a really long time, until I found another recipe on Everyday Food. I tested this out on an American and he preferred the latter!

So I'm switching up my pancake recipe to this one, but I've altered the Everyday Food recipe a little. Only because you can't always find buttermilk in Singapore.

Also, having the eggs, milk and everything at room temperature makes a difference! In Singapore we keep our eggs in the fridge because of the heat and humidity so you do need to take them out of beforehand.

The Everyday Food recipe called for extra 3 beaten egg whites. Forget it!! It's extra time whisking that you don't need. When you want pancakes, you want them NOW!

1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla e
1 tablespoon melted butter, cooled
2 tablespoon oil (use a very neutral one, like canola)
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup of plain flour
1 tablespoon double acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoon sugar

1. Take the eggs and milk out of the fridge first to get them to room temperature.

2. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

3. In a bowl or measuring cup, add the lemon juice to the milk and stir slightly. Leave aside to curdle.

4. In a big mixing bowl, place your flour, double acting baking powder, salt and sugar. Use a whisk and whisk it up, give it a good mix.

5. Add the vanilla, cooled melted butter, oil and eggs to the milk and lemon juice. Mix using a whisk.

6. Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients - don't whisk too hard! Just slowly combine.

7. Add a bit of butter and oil to a non-stick pan, and pour in one ladle full. You can usually fit in 3 at a time.

8. When bubbles or craters start to appear, it's time to flip.

9. Serve with butter and maple syrup. For us there's no other way!

Bacon and egg cups

Makes 6

6 slices of regular bread, the square kind
6 eggs (I used large ones)
6 splashes of milk
6 slices of bacon
6 tablespoons of grated cheese plus extra for topping
salt & pepper
butter for greasing

Equipment:
6-cup jumbo muffin tin

1) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

2) Grease the cups with butter. Push each slice of bread into the cups.

3) Add 1 tablespoon of cheese to each cup.

3) Fry the bacon till they're half cooked and arrange it around the inside.

4) Place them in the oven for 5 minutes.

5) While it's in the oven, beat the eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper.

6) Remove the muffin tin from the oven and pour over the eggs equally in each cup. It may run over to the sides of the bread. It's OK. As long as it's not spilling over the cup.

7) Top with extra cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Egg should be clean when you insert a skewer.

8) Remove from the tin and serve.

Quick banana muffins

Makes 6 muffins

250g self raising flour
1 teaspoons double acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
115g caster sugar

75g cooled melted butter
2 medium eggs
125ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heap teaspoon honey
4 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

2. Melt butter and allow to cool.

3. Mash bananas.

4. Mix all the the dry ingredients in one bowl.

5. Beat 2 eggs and add the wet ingredients, including butter and bananas.

6. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add in the wet ingredients.

7. Stir lightly with a fork. Do not over beat.

8. Fill a greased muffin tray almost to the top.

9. Bake for 20- 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out dry.

10. Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before removing from the tray.

* I got this recipe from Nigella Lawson (but I added more bananas!)