The most important piece of kitchen equipment you'll need to make perfect crêpes every time is a really good non-stick frying pan, as it makes flipping so much easier. Make sure your frying pan is properly heated before you star t cooking too. You can test this by putting a small spoonful of the batter into the frying pan – it should turn golden on the underside after about 30 seconds.

MAKES 12

  • 100g (4oz) plain flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 300ml (½ pint) milk, plus a little extra if necessary
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for cooking
  • fresh berries, such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and halved strawberries
  • thick Greek yogurt, to serve
  • honey, to serve

1 Put the flour, eggs, milk and sunflower oil in a bowl and whisk to a smooth batter. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes if time allows, but up to 2 days is fine, covered with cling film in the fridge – just give it a good stir before using, and if you find it has thickened up a little, then loosen it with a splash of milk. But if you’re in a hurry, you can cook the crêpes straight away.

2 Place a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper. Once hot, ladle in a thin layer of batter and cook for 1 minute, until golden. Once the crêpe is cooked underneath, give it a little shake and it should move easily. Tip the crêpe to the edge of the frying pan and three, two, one, flip! Remember, practice makes perfect – it’s about having a confident flick of the wrist (the same action as you would use when making a stir-fry in a wok). Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, keeping the crêpes warm in a low oven as you go. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

3 If you’d prefer to make the crêpes in advance, allow them to cool and then layer up between non-stick baking or greaseproof paper and wrap in cling film. They will keep happily for 2 days in the fridge, then reheat later in a low oven or in the microwave (they can also be frozen for up to 2 months).

4 Fold each crêpe into quarters and arrange on plates with the berries and a good spoonful of the yogurt, then drizzle over the honey to serve.

Hotcakes with Mango and Banana Sauté

These nifty little hotcakes are as light as a feather and can be made in the time it takes to heat the frying pan! You could serve them with berries, but the mango and banana is a delicious combination. And because both fruits are naturally high in sugar, this only needs a drizzle of maple syrup or honey to make it into what seems like a very decadent dessert.

HOTCAKES:

  • 150g (5oz) self-raising flour
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • tiny pinch of sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 250ml (9fl oz) buttermilk
  • a little sunflower oil, for frying
  • natural yoghurt, to serve
  • MANGO AND BANANA SAUTÉ:
  • 25g (1oz) butter
  • 1 large, firm, ripe mango, peeled and cut
  • into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 large bananas, peeled and thickly sliced
  • on the diagonal
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
  • juice of 1 lime

SERVES 4

Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Make a slight dip in the middle and crack in the egg, then add the buttermilk and mix until smooth with a fork or small balloon whisk.

Put a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a little sunflower oil, removing any excess with kitchen paper. Spoon 3 tablespoonfuls of the batter into the heated pan and cook for 1–2 minutes, until little bubbles rise up to the top. Using a spatula, carefully flip over and cook for another minute or so, until golden on both sides. When the hotcakes are done, transfer them to a plate and cover with foil to keep them warm. Wipe the pan with kitchen paper and add a little more sunflower oil.

Continue to make hotcakes with the rest of the batter. You should make about 12 hotcakes. Once all of the hotcakes have been made, wipe out the frying pan with kitchen paper and add the butter. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, tip in the mango and bananas, tossing to coat. Sauté for 2–3 minutes, until heated through and just beginning to caramelise.

Drizzle over the maple syrup or honey and lime juice and continue tossing until evenly coated. Arrange three hotcakes on each serving plate. Add a spoonful of yoghurt to each one and spoon over the mango and banana sauté to serve.