Pancakes with Cinnamon Butter and Apple Sauce

Frying pans at the ready - pancake day has arrived! If you love pancakes as much as we do, why not go all out and have a go at making these fluffy delights, served with freshly made cinnamon butter and almond sauce.   Preparation time: 40 mins, plus chilling Cooking time: 6 mins per pancake Makes 12 pancakes

For the pancakes: 300g plain flour 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp caster sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 200g natural yogurt 2 eggs, beaten 150ml milk 50g butter, melted 25g butter, melted or 2 tbsp oil for greasing

For the cinnamon butter: 100g butter, softened 2 tbsp soft brown sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the apple sauce: 2 large Bramley apples, cored, peeled and chopped 125ml water 1 tbsp caster sugar

1. For the cinnamon butter, beat the butter until soft and smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and stir until fully combined. Transfer to a small serving bowl then chill in the fridge, Alternatively transfer the butter to shaped ice cube trays, place in the freezer, pop the butter out when frozen then chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
2. For the apple sauce, place the apple, water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for a few minutes until the apple is soft. Remove from the heat then use a blender to blitz into a purée. The sauce can be served warm or cold.
3. For the pancakes, place the, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.
4. In another bowl briefly whisk the yogurt, eggs, milk, and butter - it doesn’t matter if the mixture curdles. Pour into the flour and sugar mixture and mix firmly but quickly. You need to mix as little as possible to achieve a fluffy consistency when cooked so it doesn’t matter if the ingredients aren’t completely combined.
5. Lightly grease a frying pan or flat griddle with butter or oil and place over a medium-high heat. Drop 2 tbsp of the mixture into the pan then spread out with a palette knife to create a pancake approx 10cm in diameter. Cook for a few minutes until it’s a deep golden colour underneath then flip over and cook for a few more minutes. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
6. Once cooked either serve straight away or keep them warm by putting them on a plate, covering with foil and then place over a pan of gently simmering water. Serve with the cinnamon butter and apple sauce.