It’s easy to forget the original point of pancake day, or as it’s officially known, Shrove Tuesday. On the eve of Lent, Christians would use up all their eggs and fats in preparation for a 40-day fast.

Today that’s not case. Most of us are unlikely to abstain from eating, following Pancake Day on Tuesday, and if the cupboards are bare, it probably has more to do with the credit crunch than religious sacrifice.

A modern day equivalent might be defrosting all the ready meals in our freezers and eating them in one go, although flipping a chicken korma out of a foil tray wouldn't nearly be as much fun as tossing a pancake.

These days, the practice of pancake-making has become a treasured artform – and even a sport.

The world record for tossing pancakes stands at 416 in two minutes. Last year, chefs at the Kiwanis Club Pancake Carnival in North Dakota, USA made 34,818 pancakes in eight hours; and, in 2005, Aldo Zilli set the world record for the highest pancake toss at 329cm.

It may sound simple, but there is an art to creating the perfect pancake. According to the Pancake Appreciation Society, you should wait 30 seconds before attempting to flip. Another tip is to check for bubbles at the edges and rumbles underneath.

Now the hard part: deciding on a filling.

Personally, I favour the classic option: lemon and sugar. But if you want to be really sophisticated, try these recipes.

Classic crepes

(Serves 4) 60g plain flour, 2 eggs, 250ml milk, melted butter (for brushing), maple syrup (to serve), caster sugar (for sprinkling), lemon wedges (to serve).

Preheat the oven to 120degC/ gas mark 1 or 2. Sift the plain flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre.

In another bowl, mix together the eggs and milk, then add to the well in the flour, whisking constantly to prevent lumps forming.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave them to stand for around 30 minutes.

Lightly brush a frying pan with melted butter over a medium heat, then pour over enough batter mixture to coat the base evenly.

Cook for one minute, or until golden underneath, then flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds. Remove, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven.

Repeat the last step with the remaining batter to make eight crepes.

Tasty tip: Crepes are best eaten the day they are made, but can be frozen in an airtight container for up to six weeks, with a layer of baking paper between each. To use frozen crepes, first thaw them, then cover and reheat in a 150degC/gas mark 2 for 5-10 minutes.

Blueberry stack

(Serves 4) 185g self-raising flour, 1tsp baking powder, 2tbsp caster sugar, 2 eggs, 250ml milk, 60g unsalted butter (melted), 155g fresh blueberries, 100g unsalted butter (softened).

To make the pancakes, sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and a pinch of salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

Whisk the eggs, milk and melted butter together in a pouring jug, then pour into the well in the flour mixture all at once, whisking to form a smooth batter.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave to stand for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 120ºC/ gas mark 1 or 2.

Place a frying pan over low heat and brush lightly with melted butter. Stir the blueberries into the pancake batter.

Pour 60ml batter into the pan and swirl gently to make a pancake about 10cm in diameter. Cook for one minute, or until golden underneath.

Turn and cook for about ten seconds, then transfer to the oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining pancakes.

Using a wooden spoon or electric beaters, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy.

Stack the pancakes on individual serving plates and serve warm or cold, with the whipped butter and maple syrup.