Mardi gras: origin and recipe ideas to entertain your children
Reading time:
3 mins
What is the origin of Mardi Gras?
Originally, Shrove Tuesday was the last day of Carnival, the word “carnival” which comes from the Latin “carnis levare”, and literally means “to remove the meat”. Shrove Tuesday takes its name from the last “fatty” meal taken on the eve of Lent, during which Christians were invited not to eat fat.
At the time, as the peasants wanted to sell the foodstuffs stored during the winter, which were most often reserves of eggs and unused butter. From there, was born the tradition of eating pancakes, waffles or donuts on the occasion of Shrove Tuesday.
A pancake recipe for Shrove Tuesday
How not to give in to the sweet temptation of pancakes, whether savory or sweet?
In order to be able to crack, without feeling too guilty, follow our recipe for crêpes that are both softer and lighter: crêpes with chestnut flour. Perfect for Mardi Gras!
For 4 people, you will need:
250g chestnut flour
100g wheat flour
· 4 eggs
50 cl of milk
1 spoonful of oil
· salt
Step 1
In a bowl, mix the wheat flour and the chestnut flour. Then, break the eggs, and add the oil, the pinch of salt and mix. Gradually add the milk while continuing to mix to obtain a smooth paste.
2nd step
The most complicated step… Leave the dough to rest for at least 1 hour in order to place it in a hot oiled frying pan.
We like chestnut flour for its more pronounced and fruity taste. Chestnut flour is rich in carbohydrates, calcium, iron and magnesium… An ideal combo for your children!
The advantage of pancakes is that everyone can have fun customizing their pancake according to their tastes and desires, by adding the filling of their choice. Chicory, jams, milk jams, chocolate, brown sugar, sugar, seasonal fruits… or even salty foods. To find these good products, ddirection Intermarché stores in the region !
Tutorial: make a carnival mask for mardi gras
Who says carnival and mardi gras, necessarily says disguises. Despite the restrictions related to sanitary conditions, nothing prevents you from creating a mini-carnival at home for your family.
Don’t have any costumes handy? Don’t worry, print the models that we leave available to you and let your children decorate them freely. Paints, felt-tip pens, colored pencils, glitter… your child will be able to create their own made-to-measure mask!
To make the mask stronger, you can stick it on a thicker cardboard sheet. Do not forget to create two holes at the ends of your mask to pass an elastic band, or a wooden rod so that your child can hold or wear his mask correctly.
For the more manual among you, you can also reproduce this pattern on fabric, cotton or felt.
