I’ll say it: pancake Tuesday is the best holiday of the year. 

Everyone knows what to give, what to do, and what to expect. We must make pancakes, and then eat them. When we have finished the pancakes, more pancakes come. Perfect.

The only issue? Pancakes are actually pretty hard to make (well, fry), so we’re forced to kick this otherwise flawless ceremony off with a carb-y sacrifice to our unworthy bins. 

Well, no more. I spoke to Gousto’s Lead Recipe Developer, Sophie Nahmad, about how to prevent the dreaded First Pancake Problem― and it turns out her foolproof answer is already recommended by online reviewers.

Enter: Kaiserschmarrn

Sophie loves TikTok’s scrambled pancake trend, which makes a “broken” first pancake the entire point of the meal. 

She explained it’s actually based on a traditional Austrian dish called Kaiserschmarrn, which involves breaking pancakes into small pieces with a spatula and covering the delicious mini dumplings in fruit compote and sugar.

They’re “pretty foolproof — you don’t have to worry about perfectly circular stacks or mastering your flip,” she told HuffPost UK.

“Kids thoroughly enjoy the action of scrambling the messy mixture in the pan, and the bite-sized pieces are easier for little hands.”

And “While traditional Austrian recipes fold in whisked egg whites for extra fluffiness,” Sophie added, “you can simply scramble your regular pancake batter for a quicker, albeit slightly less airy, treat.”

Even if you didn’t want to make the dish but your pancake has started to fall apart in the pan, you can chop the circle into little bits and make the bug a delicious, sinful cereal-like feature.

“Instead of throwing out your pancake flops this year, give them a little scramble!”, Sophie advises (yes, ma’am).

What’s the recipe?

Gousto’s recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 125g plain flour
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar (plus extra for sprinkling during cooking)
• A pinch of salt
• 300ml milk
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 tablespoon rum (optional, for extra flavour)
• 2 large egg whites
• 25g unsalted butter, for cooking

To serve:

• Icing sugar, for dusting
• Optional: A handful of raisins (soaked in a little rum for 15 minutes, if desired)
• Optional: A dollop of apple compote or your favourite fruit preserve

Instructions:

1. Prepare the batter:

• In a medium bowl, sift together the plain flour, caster sugar, and a pinch of salt.
• In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and rum (if using).
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth batter. (If you’re using raisins, stir them in now.)

2. Whip the egg whites:

• In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a clean whisk or electric mixer until soft peaks form. They should be light and airy but not completely stiff.
• Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the pancake batter using a spatula. Be careful not to over-mix—you want to keep the air in the mixture for a light texture.

3. Cook the Kaiserschmarrn:

• Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and melt the butter.
• Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly. Allow it to cook for about 3–4 minutes until the underside is set and lightly golden.
• Using a spatula, gently flip the pancake (or if easier, cut it into quarters and flip the pieces) to cook the other side for another 3 minutes.
• Using two forks or spatulas, tear the pancake into bite-sized pieces. Scatter a little extra caster sugar over the top and continue cooking for another 2–3 minutes, stirring gently until the pieces are well-cooked and have a slight crisp on the edges.

4. To serve:

• Transfer the Kaiserschmarrn to a serving plate.
• Dust generously with icing sugar.
• Enjoy warm with a side of apple compote, fruit preserves, or fresh fruit. 

I’m not drooling, you are...