Yes, it's almost that time of year again — Shrove Tuesday.

The last hurrah before the excesses of the festive period are well and truly cleared away in preparation for the start of the Christian liturgical season of Lent.

Shrove Tuesday also known as Pancake Day was historically an opportunity for people to clear their larders of rich foods such as milk and eggs in preparation for Lent - the 40 days of fasting leading up to Easter.

Pancakes were the obvious, and possibly tastiest way, to do this. A thin, flat cake made of batter and baked on a griddle or fried in a pan, the pancake has a long history and recipes for them can be found in cookbooks as far back as 1439.

While the size and thickness of pancakes vary from country to country, the traditional British pancake is slightly thicker than a French crêpe and was originally served up with a meat-based stew. These days serving them with a sprinkling of sugar and a dash of fresh lemon juice or syrup hot from the pan is most common.

But everyone has a favoured flavour. Why not share your ideas for your favourite combinations in the feedback box below, or try this recipe from the original doyenne of home cooking Marguerite Patten.

These pancakes not only use up eggs and milk but also apples from the fruit bowl.

Ingredients

Batter:

50g gingernut biscuits, crushed

50g plain flour

2 eggs

250ml milk

For frying and topping:

Oil or fat

Caster sugar

Filling:

300ml thick, sweetened apple puree*

50g finely chopped crystallised ginger

50g coarsely chopped walnuts

Method

Blend together the ingredients for the batter.

Heat a little oil or butter in a frying pan and cook the pancake on one side, flipping to cook the other. Continue like this until all the pancakes are cooked.

Keep the cooked pancakes hot on an uncovered dish in an over, set very low. Alternatively, place dish on top of a pan of hot water.

Meanwhile, heat the apple puree, ginger and nuts.

Fill each pancake in turn with the mixture, roll and return to a heated dish.

Top pancakes with sprinkled sugar.

*To make apple puree:

450g apples, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons water

25-50g sugar

25g butter (optional)

Simmer the apples with the water, sugar and butter until a soft puree. Sieve or liquidise if you wish.

Pancakes for all people

The classic: Fine crepes with lemon and sugar

The detox: Mixed berry pancakes

The boozer: Spiced apple pancakes with calvados sabayon

The continental: Cinnamon pancakes with praline cream and chocolate sauce

The romantic: Lacy crepes with rose-water butter

The kid's favourite: Banana and ricotta pancakes with maple-pecan sauce

For Chinese New Year: Chinese roast pork with pancakes

The seasonal: Baked rhubarb

The dinner party "pancakes": Sweetcorn blinis with aubergine and tomato

The wheat-free option: Red onion and rosemary farinate

The Scandinavian: Warm potato pancakes with smoked eel

For the best local produce in your area visit the Times Real Food Directory

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