IT’S easy to forget the original point of pancake day or as it’s officially known, Shrove Tuesday.

On the eve of Lent, Christians would use up all their eggs and fats in preparation for a 40-day fast.

The world moves on. The record for tossing pancakes stands 416 in two minutes; in February 2008 chefs at the Kiwanis Club Pancake Carnival in North Dakota, USA made 34,818 pancakes in 8 hours.

There is an art to creating the perfect pancake. According to the Pancake Appreciation Society you should wait 30 seconds before attempting to flip. Another tip is to heck for bubbles at the edges and rumbles underneath.

CLASSIC CREPES

Serves 4

60g plain flour; 2 eggs; 250ml milk; melted butter, for brushing; maple syrup, to serve; caster sugar, for sprinkling; lemon wedges, to serve. Preheat the oven to 120ºC/ gas mark 1/2.

Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre.

In another bowl, mix together the eggs and milk, then add to the well in the flour, whisking constantly to prevent lumps forming. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Lightly brush a frying pan with melted butter over a medium heat, then pour over enough batter mixture to coat the base evenly.

Cook for 1 minute, or until golden underneath, then flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds.

Repeat with the remaining batter to make eight crepes.