I am very lucky that both my girls never complain about eating breakfast, but I know it can be a big battle for some parents. Whilst the girls are happy to stick with a bowl of cereal or a couple of slices of toast, I like to vary what they have to keep it interesting. At the weekend we usually have something a bit special when we have more time, perhaps bacon and eggs or pancakes. We are trying hard to sit down together and eat every morning though, not just at weekends, I think it’s a great start to the day for everyone.

I have been trying out a few recipes including cheese and ham muffins, breakfast frittata and this one, which was a firm favourite with the girls:

Pancakes with Berry Compote

Ingredients

For the pancakes:

125g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

200ml milk

1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the compote:

You can use any berries you’d like. A bag of frozen berries is often handy. I used a punnet of blackberries and a handful of raspberries.

Sugar to taste

Method

1. Place the fruits into a saucepan and heat gently.

2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.

3. Add the egg, milk and oil and stir until the mixture is nearly smooth. Don’t worry if there are still a few small lumps.

4. Heat a little oil in a frying pan (you may not need any if you have a good non-stick pan) over a medium heat. Drop spoonfuls into the pan, leaving a little room between each to spread.

5. Once you see bubbles start to appear on the surface turn the pancakes and cook on the other side until both sides are a golden colour.

6. Repeat until all the pancakes are made. Keep them warm in the oven while you cook the next ones.

7. Add sugar to the fruit to taste, if needed.

8. Serve the warm pancakes with the fruit.

If you are short of time in the mornings, you could make the fruit compote the day before and keep it in the fridge. You can also make the pancakes ahead of time and freeze them.

Some other favourite breakfasts include:

  • Yoghurt with fruit
  • Fruit salad
  • Scrambled egg on toast
  • Bacon sandwiches
  • Porridge with various toppings
  • Cereal with milk or yoghurt
  • Toast with various toppings
  • Cheese and ham muffins
  • Scotch pancakes
  • Wholemeal apricot muffins
  • Breakfast frittata
  • Cheese and tomato omelette

What are your family’s favourite breakfasts?