Celebrating Pancake Tuesday with Anne Maher from the Urban Co-operative Limerick

In Perfect Pancakes, Anne Maher of The Urban Co-operative brings us into her kitchen — and her way of thinking — with warmth, honesty, and a healthy dose of humour.

What begins as a reflection on a familiar family ritual quickly unfolds into a thoughtful exploration of food, tradition, and nourishment, shaped by years of hands-on experience with parents and children alike.

Drawing on her work at The Urban Co-op, Anne reframes pancakes not as an occasional treat, but as a practical, adaptable tool for feeding families well. Her approach is intuitive rather than prescriptive, grounded in real ingredients, experimentation, and making the most of what’s already on hand.

This piece reflects Anne’s belief that good food doesn’t need to be complicated — just considered, nourishing, and made with care.

"Whoever decided that pancakes are only a once a year idea have never been to my house! I reckon they are a bit of a mainstay that should be in every parents arsenal!

"Of course everyone has their favourite topping etc to consider. Over the years we have changed the toppings. Lemon and sugar in my childhood. From blueberries to maple syrup and dare I utter the word Nutella (heave).

"The pancake story has become the ultimate diabetes chasing disaster...have we created a monster with this food that was once seen as a last ditch effort to eat up before a Lenten fasting time?

"Traditionally we learn that Shrove Tuesday was a day to use up the eggs and sugar in preparation for the fasting period of Lent ahead. Making pancakes was a simple solution to this and voila we have a tradition...eggs flour and milk mixed together to produce a batter that poured easily onto the pan. Cooked in butter of course.

"Over the years I have experimented with the pancake recipe to come up with version that are gluten free, keto, high protein you name it I have made it. There are some disasters to report but there are plenty of successes too.

"When an overwhelmed parent comes in to The Urban Co-op to chat about changing her child's diet, invariably I will mention pancakes. So easy to feed good ingredients to children this way.

"Secrets I have found - use the BEST ingredients you can find, use real milk – raw milk to make them, the older the better.

"I have challenged myself to use up that bottle of raw milk in the back of the fridge that has sat there for a few months clabbered away. 'Eew' you say...but hear me out. It’s beautifully fermented! And preserved!

"Organic eggs and now I need some flour...I mostly use buckwheat now. Even grinding down the seeds I have from the bulk section with a mill. It is quite the satisfaction to make them this way. Leave to sit for a while and fry in lashings of butter.

"There are a variety of gluten free and grain free options that are worth trying. How about mixing cashew nut butter, eggs and mashed banana together with a little cinnamon. Fry in butter. These can be lunch box staples.

"I have a particular taste for the chestnut flour also. Use instead of traditional flour and it is not only delicious it is quite sweet. Mixing a batter with egg to fry on a pan with butter is the formula. Holiday pancakes became mashed banana, cinnamon and eggs (in butter!). Puree of squash can work too.

"You will notice I am not measuring. Once upon a time I did but now I just play it by ear. Using up the ingredients I actually have.. sounds familiar? Enjoy!"

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