“Soooo what shall we do today?” I asked Mr NQN pacing the floor of our apartment.
“I dunno. Go for a bike ride?”
“No, I only do two challenges a year thanks” I replied not mentally ready to take up my third ability nemesis. For most, driving a car, swimming and riding a bike are normal everyday activities. For me, aka an uncoordinated version of Woody Allen, they’re numbingly frightening challenges. And reserved for momentous occasions.
“How about we go for a walk?” he suggested.
“I’m not that desperate for something to do” I snorted and left the room.
In truth I was quite desperately bored on holidays. I’m used to having a huge list of things to do and I knew these holidays were meant for relaxing but relaxing was so….dull. The dishes were all washed, the floor was clean and I had even cleaned the dishwasher strainer thingy which goes to show how truly desperate I was for something to do away from the computer which was the key activity that I was supposed to avoid (and the one that would prove the most alluring).
So far the highlight of my day was a petty act of revenge on my mother. She likes to call on the phone and when she has finished talking she simply hangs up without saying goodbye. I call it “Jack Bauer’ing” (of the TV show “24″) and time and time again she would cut me off while I was mid sentence with a “click” of the phone and I’d howl “She Jack Bauer’d me!” to Mr NQN. Today I had managed to do it to her – mid sentence no less!
Yes clearly I needed a hobby if this was the highlight of my day…
How to pitt a cherry with a chopstick. From Lisa’s fab site Bake, Bike, Blog. Step 1: Hold the fat end of a chopstick against the hole in the cherry.
I wandered around, solicited ideas on twitter and then decided to bake. Of course. I would make an oven pancake which I had first seen in the Moomins cookbook. Mr NQN’s aunt Sisko who cooks all sorts of delicious Finnish and otherwise foods told me that you could even drop fruit into the top and then cook it. Since I had bought 10 stalks of rhubarb and only needed a few of them and I still had a handful of cherries left over (but not quite enough to make a pie) I decided to make a cherry and rhubarb oven pancake.
Step 2: Holding tight onto the sides of the cherry push the chopstick out through the other end…
It was very quick to make and the advantage of this was that you don’t have to stand by the cooktop flipping pancakes for ravenous folks. What this makes is one giant, thick pancake that you can cut a wedge off, much like a cake or a pie. The time saving was of course ironic given how untime-poor I was this week. I baked it for 30 minutes where it puffed up (although this puff effect is just temporary). The texture is almost custardy and quite unusual and different from regular fried pancakes. It’s quite eggy and rich and rhubarb by itself is quite tart so maple syrup is most definitely needed here. Needless to say that a fruit like blueberry would also be ideal as would other berries or apple. It reminded me of Kaiserschmarrn, the Austrian pancakes bites last year during the holidays. And the strange bonus was that when I saw these pictures I realised that I needed a manicure-now that’s another task!
So tell me Dear Readers, do you ever get a teensy leeetle beet bored while on holidays?
Step 3: Ta-da! Out pops the pit!
Cherry & Rhubarb Oven Pancake
Serves 4-6 depending on hunger level
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 125grams/4ozs plain flour
- 500ml/2 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- butter for greasing
- 2 sticks of raw rhubarb chopped into smallish pieces and a handful of fresh, pitted cherries or 2/3 cup of other fruit that you like in small pieces
- Icing sugar, cream or ice cream and maple syrup to serve
1. Place the sugar, salt and flour in a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk lightly to combine. In a jug measure milk and add the two eggs beating the eggs until combined. Incorporate the milky egg mixture into the flour with a whisk adding it in 3-4 lots. Stand for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Grease a baking dish and pour the pancake batter into the tray and sprinkle over with rhubarb pieces or other fruit. Bake for 30 minutes until puffy and golden. Sift over with icing sugar and serve with cream and maple syrup.
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65 Comments | Add your own
I get more than a teensy bit bored!!! Plus I have an absolute aversion to exercise! My hubby would have made the exact same suggestions
I call it my AO ADD which stands for Adult Onset ADD. I think it’s due to years of being very busy and counting every second in terms of productivity…
That looks absolutely lovely.
Its not so much as bored on vacations, but i do get stressed. I try too hard to have fun sometimes and it ends up ruining everything. I need to learn to relax. I like to schedule everything.
*kisses* HH
Happy New Year, Lorraine! Mmm, I can’t think of a more perfect breakfast to start the new year, this looks divine! How funny about your mom, my dad is the one who Jack Bauers in my family, lol!
Brilliant! I was just wondering what to do with all these beautiful cherries sitting in my kitchen.
I like the cherry pitting with a chopstick, I have a cherry pitter and rarely use it maybe I should ditch it and use this method instead.
Very interesting recipe Lorraine, don’t know about the chopstick trick, was it messy? I have a cherry pit-remover and it works quite well.
I don’t think I’ve ever been bored on a holiday break, always looking around for something to do or read a book.
I might be a Jack Bauer too- as soon as I hear the words goodbye I say goodbye and hang up, and as I do so I often hear whoever is on the end of the phone saying ‘oh and blah blah blah’ before they’re cut off. I hate talking on the phone!
This looks great, anything with both rhubarb and cherries must be good.
happy new year lorraine – hope it is filled with good things (rather than boredom) I always think it is a strange time of year when everything slows down and when you try and go out everything is closed.
I’ve seen baked pancake recipes and always wanted to make them – I want to bake pancakes but the urge always comes when I just don’t need any more sweet food in my life – like now!
Looks like a clafouti – a French classic
Wow… I am like this almost every weekend.. listless and restless I like to call it… a bit L&R…. sigh….
No, I never get bored! Because I can always read, or cook, or write, or exercise or sleep; and the housework is never totally done.
I just cut the cherries when I’m cooking/preparing with them … you do end up with very red hands and nails though!
I taught my self to knit so I wouldn’t be bored on a holiday. Knitting can be relaxing.
It does get a bit boring when lots of your friends are away.
I always get bored on holidays, unless of course I’m overseas! That cracks me up about your mother just hanging up on you!
The problem with me is not so much on holidays, but on my RDOs as they’re usually when everyone else is at work. I plan to have a ‘do nothing’ day, but I end up saying “I’ll just do the dishes” or “load the washing machine” or “quickly mop the floor” before I sit down with a DVD, and before I know it, the day is half gone
I love this recipe. It’s what I’d call a pantry lifesaver – except for the fruit & rhubarb, everything else is what I’d have on hand
I love cherries and rhubarb…an unlikely combination that works. My cherry trick… from long ago Gourmet??? Use a paperclip.. works like a charm. Hope your day has been pleasant and headache free!!!
Delicious! I can’t wait to buy cherries and rhubarb again…
Cheers,
Rosa
Oooh, I love how it looks like clafoutis but sounds so much tastier with the name “pancake”.
Happy New Year Lorraine – thank you for being so much wonderful fun to read!
After the exams, I get really bored. I will scour the city, and if i get bored of the city, I will clean every spot I can find in my tiny apartment. If i am done cleaning, I kill insects at my balcony (spiders, cockroaches… eew stuff). If I am done doing them, then I will truly have nothing to do but cook.
Are you sure about the amount of flour you posted? I just tried this, and ended up with a soupy centre. I tried baking it a bit longer, but that didn’t really fix the issue.
I rarely get bored on holiday, mostly am very content to laze around, read a book and enjoy good drinks and good food. Loved to hear that you don’t swim or ride a bike. Grew up in Canada (good to see the pic of Canadian maple syrup) and despite swimming lessons (yes, at the beach) I didn’t learn. Didn’t ride a bike til adulthood, fell off and ended up with a black eye and bruised limbs. No more bike-reading pour moi. The quesiton is how do we eat all the lovely food and maintain our girlish figures???
Happy New Year Lorraine! I’ve just made a cherry (only) version of your rhubarb & cherry pancake and I was not disappointed! Delicious. Thank you.
Great trick with the cherries and a chopstick!
SSG xxx
Ooh I like easy
I’ve always watched Americans in movies hang up with saying goodbye & thought seriously who does that? Lol, now I know!
I used to get bored on holidays but these days I never seem to be bored. I’m not sure whether that’s from being a parent or just taking on far too much & needing a to-do list for my to-do lists!
i made this this morning for breakfast as well. inspired by my morning read of your blog and happy to be 3 hours behind you guys in nsw!
however mine turned out like a cherry and apricot clafoutis….what consistency did yours have when eating it lorraine?
Relaxing is boring…. That’s a new interesting perspective. Enjoy your bountless energy while you still have it! Hahaha…
Wow! That looks so simple and delicious. I’ll have to try it soon!
Rest assured you’re not alone when it comes to driving, bike-riding and swimming. I feel exactly the same way about these 3 skills. Could it be a Singaporean thing??
I obtained my licence in SG at the age of 29, drove for 6 years, then stopped in 2000 and I haven’t been behind the wheel ever since (too scared). I didn’t bother to get an Australian driver licence when I moved here 7 years ago.
I try to keep my fitness level up so that I’ll still be able to walk/take public transport whilst carrying shopping/grocery bags in my old age. :p
If only I could be bored WITHOUT kids lol. Life is never boring with them which is sometimes a blessing, sometimes – not-so-much.
Happy new year xxx
I like that jack” Bauered” me phrase, very witty!!! Now that you’ve ” jack bauered” her, careful she doesn’t have any more “pulling the pluggers” up her sleeve..
That cherry pitting tip is geniuos and I love the baked pan cake version..That would be great to have on a breakfast buffet!!!
I too have the can’t sit still on holiday bug..usually I end up re arranging furniture in the house.
Try to rest Lorraine..enjoy the break because this is gonna be one heck of a busy year for you!!
mmmm..I love one pot wonders like this!
I enjoy lying around doing nothing so I rarely get bored on holidays. Your comment about a manicure on hols made me chuckle because when I was in New Zealand recently, I spent one night doing my nails while my friend spent the night in the hotel bar. I can’t stand chipped nails!
Thanks for this, now I know what yo do with tomorrow morning : )
I wish I had time to get bored in the holidays! My sister who lives in a small country town, and is single,rings nearly everyday for at least an hour to aleviate her own boredom. By the time I have entertained her, I need to sort out the kids, feed various creatures, and do my own work. What’s a holiday?
Hi Erika-Yes the amount of flour is correct. It’s a pancake batter so it is quite “soupy” in texture. Did you cook it at 200C/400F for 30 minutes?
What a lovely combination of flavours! Love the idea of rhubarb and cherries, sometimes great flavour combos are invented out of necessity! I always have too much to do so am never bored (just procrastinate over the stuff I don’t want to do)!
Hi Kylie-It is like a clafoutis but with less eggs and cream and the batter is still a typical pancake batter. I mentioned that it was quite custardy, like a baked custard. Is this what you got?
nice trick to pit the cherries! happy holidays!
It looks yummy but I’m not sure about using Rhubarb, I think it’s too stringy and reminds me of Celery and also not too keen on Maple Syrup, however I’d give it a try using the ingredients you mention, just to see if I like it.
I just LOVE how easy this looks! Pancakes without standing over the stovetop frying? I’m in! Thanks for a great post. I just stumbled upon your site today and look forward to following your posts and pix this year!
Happy Holidays
Nope, never get bored, it is my time off for the year. If I read and slept would be a glorious few weeks 
The phone thing with your mother is so darned funny. If that’s all mine did I would have been grateful. Her hanging up was meant to be hurtful. Mothers are
facists.
This food is beautiful, but I wonder about the rhubarb, which is usually boiled with sugar to get rid of the bitter taste.But
these are just cut and baked into the pancake. Do they come out crunchy and bitter,..or?
You literally made me giggle out loud with this first paragraph (especially “I only do a few challenges a year, thanks”). And I’m exactly the same, when I’ve got something big I’m meant to be doing, my house gets INCREDIBLY clean.
And this looks so delicious! It actually looks almost exactly like a clafoutis (which I love, except can’t stop eating when I make one), except with more flour and less egg (but similar concept). Will have to try this to compare.
Wishing you a wonderful 2011 darling!
Briony xx
What a great little trick with the chopstick and the cherries. That dish looks delicious!
Never get bored on holidays… These ones, I don’t think I’ve been more busy!
I really like this idea of one big oven pancake! So much easier than one at a time. Happy New Year, Lorraine!
Delicious, easy eating! And I never get bored, there’s always too much to do and the holidays are never long enough!
Great way to pit a cherry! I think it would be even better with a splash of booze in it.
I honestly never get bored whilst on holidays. It’s a gift
I love the idea of these oven pancakes!
Heidi xo
I have to admit I do get bored on holidays. Me and my husband forked out a small fortune on a resort in Phuket to do nothing but relax for 7 nights. We lasted 2 days before going bonkers! We just aren’t the relaxing type but I wouldn’t mind soothing about eating this massive pancake!
I have to admit I get bored on holidays. Me and my husband spent a small fortune on a resort in Phuket to relax and do nothing for 7 nights. It lasted 2 days before we went bonkers! I think I could do a slothful day eating this pancake though, looks fantastic!
Mmm, sounds yummy Lorraine. I certainly have been bored on holidays but not this year its been heaven on a stick
Love the Jack Bauer’ing…. classic!!
My boredom avoidance technique involves a 6 year old girl whose birthday is in early February. Once we get Christmas over my thoughts turn to what to do for her birthday – invitations and party bags plus cake. I used your link to ‘Lovely little parties’ to order the invitations, but with a Museum party planned the party bags are a real challenge. Dinosaur eggs seem to be unavailable
The creative juices are considering alternatives!!
Yuppers it was quite custardy, trust me to skim over they bit!!! I might maKe again as Saturday’s r my pancake/waffle day
Happy New Year!! Your post made me laugh. Thanks for the tip on pitting the cherries with chopsticks. I rarely get bored when on holidays as there’s always so much to do. I have very poor time management skills apparently!
This looks delish – and it’s a great way to feed pancakes to a crowd, as it is all in one!
Us Finns love our oven cooked pancakes and this version looks delicious!
i’ve been missing your slothful sundays! although with me, it’s an all-week thing–sluggish saturdays, torpid tuesdays, monotonous mondays, flat fridays.
This recipe looks surprisingly delicious but easy to make! Since cherries are so in season and so cheap right, we have about 2 kilos sitting around at home. Maybe I can try making something similar
I don’t usually get bored during holidays because that’s usually when family friends and relatives go hyper with having family dinners etc, and I love going overseas so there’s always something to do! But I do find I waste a lot of time when it’s holidays, I should use it more wisely… :S
This looks like a perfect way to spend a slothful weekend morning. Although I agree a nice bike ride would have been lovely
xoxo Mum
This looks delicious! I’m going cherry picking on Saturday so I’ll be having a slothful sunday cherry pancake for SURE!!
Love your method of pitting the cherries. I definitely didn’t need another single-purpose tool like a pitter taking up precious kitchen space. I just discovered rhubarb in 2010 and am greatly looking forward to enjoying it this spring. This pancake looks like a fabulous place to start. Happy New Year, Lorraine!
What does it say about my indolent nature that I was not bored at all?? I too usually have a to-do list as long as my arm, and yet somehow I take quite naturally to laying about!! Anyway, I love this and thank you for the chopstick tip!
Brilliant tip on using chopsticks to pit the cherries! And using the oven to make pancakes as opposed to standing over the stove painstakingly cooking one at a time = genius. This is why I loooove you.
A Chopstick cherry pitter…what a great idea. Love the look of the pancake as well, almost a clafoutis!
I don’t get too bored on holidays, although we only had a weeks break over the christmas period. I think that if I were to be on holiday for longer than that I would. Although if I were in a different country then that would be a different story!
Hi there NQN!
This oven pancake looks delicious! (Cherries aren’t in season here in Canada right now, but I have a feeling an apple version will be making its way to my table this weekend).
But more to the point of my story: I wasn’t certain how to contact you directly, but really had no shame about commenting out in the open here (I only hope that you get to read this).
It really delighted me when I saw that you had read my blog back when I started in August, and I was hoping that you could share some advice on how to improve my blog or how to break into the food blogging community. I have some traffic on my site, but very few people comment (which I assume means that they aren’t engaged, or that the right kind of people aren’t reading).
I absolutely love your site and the success you have achieved is amazing. I hope that you can share some of your wisdom with me so that I can move forward as well.
Hope to hear from you soon!
-BBC
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