Banana pancakes with crispy bacon and strawberries

Since I started making American-style pancakes a year or two ago, they've become a firm favourite in our house. Even my terribly fussy son wolfs them down, which is a HUGE achievement I feel! I love making pancakes on a Sunday morning, bit of music, cup of tea on the go... it doesn't really feel like a chore at all. Plus I feel like a complete domestic goddess by the end of it!

I don't always do crispy bacon when I make pancakes but I do think it adds an extra bit of oomph and well worth doing but if you haven't got any bacon or just can't be bothered, well, they'll be perfectly fine without!

This recipe will serve 4 people - amount of pancakes will depend on how big you make them but generally I get about 10-12 from a batch.

Banana pancakes with crispy bacon and strawberries

Ingredients

10 rashers smoked streaky bacon
140g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp light soft brown sugar

2 ripe bananas (1 mashed, 1 thinly sliced)

2 large eggs

25g butter, plus a little extra for frying

125ml milk

To serve;

Maple/golden syrup

Strawberries, halved/quartered if large

Method

Grill the bacon on a baking try lined for foil for around 5-7 minutes until crisp. When cooked, turn off the grill and leave the bacon under to keep warm.

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar together. Make a well in the centre and add the mashed banana, eggs, butter and milk. Whisk everything together to make a smooth batter.

Heat a little butter in a large frying pan. Spoon in small dollops of pancake batter - make sure to leave a bit of space between them as they will spread. Pop a couple of banana slices on each pancake and cook for a minute or two over a medium heat. When you start to see bubbles/holes appear on the surface, flip the pancakes over and cook for a minute more until they are golden.

You can transfer to a plate and pop under the still-warm grill to keep warm whilst you cok the rest if you like.

Serve with crispy bacon, sliced strawberries and a generous drizzle of your choice of syrup!

Perfect Sunday morning brunch!