Music, smells and tastes can all evoke powerful memories. When we eat something that we were served as a child it can take us back to that time… the lumpy mash when we had our appendix out, the chip butties when we came in cold and wet from our paper round, the apple crumble served on wintery Sunday evenings. Returning to eat these foods can remind us of the freedom to eat we had as a child. When calories were unknown entities, where what we didn’t link food to weight and where we could when we were physically hungry and stop when we were full. For me it’s Weetabix with hot milk, Marmite sandwiches, Malt loaf, peanut butter on toast and pancakes. What are your childhood foods? What memories do they bring back when you eat them? How does it make you feel?

Serves 1/2

• 50g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1tbsp castor sugar
• 125g/small pot vanilla yogurt (+ 100g fat free cream cheese for extra protein if wanted)
• 1 egg or 2 egg whites
• Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries… for serving

1. Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and stir in sugar.
2. Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients and add egg/egg whites.
3. Mix the yogurt with the cream cheese (if using) and add to the dry ingredients. If you like a thicker pancake use less yogurt and cream cheese and keep the remainder for topping off the pancake. Using two egg whites will increase protein content by about 4/5g and adding cream cheese will add another 12g, making these pancakes perfect for muscle building.
4. Mix all the ingredients together and leave for at least 5 minutes. The yogurt will react with the bicarbonate of soda, producing bubbles and creating fluffy America style pancakes.
5. Once the mixture has rested heat a small frying pan and coat lightly in olive oil.
6. Drop a spoonful of the pancake mixture into the centre of the pan and heat for about 60 seconds before flipping with a spatula and frying for a further 30 seconds.
7. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
8. Mix the remaining cream cheese and yogurt mixture together and serve with the pancakes and top with fruit.