Take a quart of fine flower, a pint of sacke, halfe a pint of ale, six or eight spoonfulls of faire water, eight yolkes of eggs and three whites, a little nutmegg, ginger, cinnamon and salt, blend all these together and straine them, they will make excellent pancakes.

 

Not only does that 18th century recipe make excellent pancakes, but those pancakes were also believed to cure malaria and most horse-related diseases. Bonus!

 

Shrove Tuesday is the last day of Shrovetide – or Carnival – and the final day before Ash Wednesday, when the season of fasting that marks Lent commences. Before you try to absolve your sins through deprivation, confession, and repentance, have one last carb-filled, sugary, gluttonous hurrah: pancakes cooked with ale, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon, topped with fried apples, almonds, mascarpone, and jam.