Yes, the date changes from year to year but the importance is in the name: Shrove Tuesday – otherwise know to many as Pancake Day!

The time for tossing and turning has come around again – no, not a reference to restless sleep but a reminder that the COPSE Pancake Night will be this week!  A flipping good time can be had. 😁

For those COPSErs who wish to keep things simple with an approach that would also involve a degree of less mess to clear and clean at the end of our evening, there are easy “just add water” mixes available.  These are can be bought in many shops for about £1, now even M & S, I have been informed.

Of course  those of you wishing to prepare a batter from scratch to bring with you, or one on site, should not feel deterred.  Whichever you prefer, please provide your own batter and accompanying filling ingredients.

Also, we do need to have some extra cooking appliances, if possible, so please bring any camping stoves or portable electric hobs you may own, along with frypans, spatulas, plates and cutlery.  (As with our recent Burns Night feast, clearing away is so aided if COPSErs can pop their own used items into a bag to take back home for cleaning.)

During the evening, indulge yourselves with self-made food – and become creative by experimenting.  Try the challenge of concocting unusual toppings / fillings and perhaps tempt other brave people to try your results!  Below are some of both savoury and sweet efforts from past years.  (The idea is to not have tried out your ideas in advance!)  Here are some ingredients of past experiments:

Savoury

• Mushrooms with garlic, onions, mixed herbs and cream
• Grated mature Cheddar cheese with optional pickle
• Blue cheese (“upmanship”!) with sun-dried tomatoes
• Sardines
• Mexican chilli beef
• Cheese & tomato
• Humus
• Tahini
• Habanero chilli

Sweet

• Maltesers
• Nutella chocolate spread
• Christmas pudding with crème fraîche (over ten months to replace the pud!)
• Lemon curd sprinkled with ground ginger
• A drizzle of honey with flaked alomonds
• A line of cubes of chocolate
• Greengage jam
• Cream cheese with Greek yogurt, sultanas & sour cherry jam
• A slight spread of butter, drizzled over by variously flavoured coffee syrups
• … and, of course, the traditional fresh lemon juice and sugar, which, understandably, some folk resolutely still prefer!

If you didn’t already, certainly try some of these yourselves or create new concoctions to add to our list.

As well as devouring our pancakes, we may once more have a tossing contest for anyone who wishes to take part.

Come to beat and eat, chew and chat.  Shrove Tuesday can prove to be a battering but pleasantly sociable Club Night.