Spiced Rum Bananas and Chocolate Layer Pancake Stack.

Okay, so I know this recipe is a bit late in terms of pancake day..but I was busy having fun, as you can see from this huge stack of pancakes (10 layers high!!!)

Chocolate and banana are a world famous combination, and these pancakes are the fluffy American kind, which adds to height and deliciousness.


Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, roughly chopped in to chunky chunks
• knob of butter
• 3 cap fulls of spiced dark rum
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 400ml creme fraiche 
• 6-8 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4-6 tbsp icing sugar
• 2 mugs of milk (proportions is whats important here- I used a standard mug and got 10 pancakes out of it)
• 2 mugs of plain flour  (proportions is whats important here- I used a standard mug and got 10 pancakes out of it)
• two eggs
• two tbsp baking powder

Method:

• To make the pancakes, whisk together the flour, milk, eggs, and baking powder in a large jug until there's no lumps left.
• Heat a non-stick pan on a medium heat, and rub it over with oil using a tissue. 
• Once the pan is up to temperature, take the pancake mix and pour out just enough in to the pan to make a splodge in the middle (no more than this!!!). As soon as you have poured out your splodge (or even simultaneously, as you are pouring), tip the pan from side to side to spread out the mixture so that it covers the entire base of the pan. Return to the heat.
• After a few minutes, you will see that the edges of the pancake start to solidify a little. Once this solidification creeps in to about a 1cm width around the entire edge of the pancake, take your spatula and ease the underside of the pancake off the pan (if it is cooked, it should slide away easily).
• Flip the pancake to it's uncooked side. The side of the pancake now facing you should be golden brown. If it's not, wait till the underside is cooked and return the original side to the heat to brown off.
• When the pancake is cooked, transfer to a plate and allow to cool. Do not eat.
• Repeat these steps for the rest of the pancake mix. I got 10 pancakes out of mine, but if you want more, just follow the general guidelines of same proportions of flour to milk (i.e. one cup of each), one egg, and one tbsp baking powder. Allow all the pancakes to cool completely before attempting to apply fillings/toppings.
• For the chocolate filling: in a medium bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, icing sugar and creme fraiche, until its smooth and utterly, deeply chocolaty. Set aside, until needed.
• For the banana topping: Place the banana, 2 cap fulls of spiced rum, butter, and sugar in a non, stick pan on a medium heat. Allow these fry together, for around 5-10 minutes, until the banana is caramelized and browned on all sides.
• To assemble the tower, grab a plate and lay down your first pancake. Smother generously with the chocolate filling and repeat until you run out of pancakes. When you reach the top, add the last of the chocolate, and then place the caramelized bananas on top. Drizzle an extra cap-full of spiced rum over the pancakes, and enjoy your masterpiece.

N.B.: You might wish to use some kind of scaffolding when constructing the tower, as the pancakes can slide around a bit. Straws, toothpicks and skewers all work well, just be careful not to eat them!