91 replies to this topic

[Fat Guy]

This morning we made pancakes. Last night, I decided to review all the eG Forums literature on pancakes. Unfortunately, because of dead links, print references and a lot of assumed knowledge, the old topics weren't as useful as they could have been. So, I thought we'd start fresh and try to do it right this time.

I propose the following guidelines for this, the pancake topic to end all pancake topics:

1 - State your pancake formula up front. Saying "I use the recipe in Cookbook X" isn't helpful to people who don't have that cookbook. Likewise, links to recipes elsewhere are, as history demonstrates, likely to go dead at some point. So, while it's good to give credit where credit is due (a link, the name of a book), we also need to know the actual formula. We're talking about pancake recipes, so they're not complex or lengthy. Just list your ingredients and amounts.

2 - Don't assume too much knowledge. Saying "I add buttermilk," without more, isn't as useful a piece of advice as laying out your formula and specifying how much buttermilk you use, and why.

3 - Be as specific as possible about techniques, equipment and other elements of pancake cookery. For example, if you use an electric griddle, let us know which one you use, what setting you use and any other tips and tricks.

4 - Embrace the diversity of pancake styles. The pancake topic to end all pancake topics need to be ecumenical on questions of thin v. thick, wheat v. buckwheat, etc. What we should do is try to lay out the ways to do each, not argue about which is better.

Make sense?

Let me start with a confession: we often use Bisquick. For those of you who don't live in Bisquick nations, Bisquick is mixture of flour, leavening agents, salt and shortening -- basically all the dry ingredients for pancakes (or biscuits, or a million other things). You just add eggs and milk and you have pancake batter. I know it's not cool to use Bisquick, but, well, I'm sorry.

Anyway, the formula on the Bisquick box is:

2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs

I've made two modifications to the recipe. First, because I have various objections to volume measures for dry ingredients, I use a scale for pretty much everything these days -- including liquid ingredients. I've also been switching over to the metric system, so my recipe card is in grams. Second, I think the pancakes come out better if you use a little more liquid than the recipe specifies. Interestingly, the simplest shorthand conversion actually makes this happen. I also am guessing that the test-kitchen recipe assumes large eggs whereas the eggs in my refrigerator are almost always extra large or jumbo. (I prefer to weigh eggs for large recipes, but for small recipes I give in to the convenience of whole-egg units.) So, when I do it, it looks like this:

250 g Bisquick
250 g milk
2 extra-large eggs

This gives a slightly thinner batter than the official recipe, and the 250/250 system is really simple. Put the bowl on the scale. Tare. Add Bisquick up to 250 g. Add milk up to 500 g (or tare and go to 250). Add 2 eggs. You never even have to use a measuring cup (or two), so in the end the scale method winds up being a little bit quicker (if you always have a scale out on your counter anyway).

We don't always use Bisquick. When we don't use Bisquick, however, we use the same formula but just add baking powder, salt and either oil or melted butter. In other words, 250 g of all-purpose flour, 250 g of milk, 2 extra-large eggs, plus 15 g of baking powder, 5 g of salt and 30 g of either oil or melted butter. The liquid balance of the recipe remains pretty much the same if you do it this way.

Stir with a wooden spoon until most of the visible lumps are out, though it's fine if a few remain.

Resting the batter for about half an hour after making it improves the pancakes in various ways. It seems to resolve any powdery spots, and they come out a little bit fluffier. But even a ten-minute rest is helpful. I know you're supposed to do this in the refrigerator, presumably for food-safety reasons, but I do it on the countertop.

In terms of cooking pancakes, I don't have an electric griddle or even a stovetop griddle. I use a 12" nonstick skillet, which accommodates four pancakes made with what I would guess is 50 ml of batter each. I'm saying 50 ml because I use a 1/4 cup plastic measuring cup (which would be about 60 ml) and don't fill it quite to the top, plus because the batter is sticky some of it remains behind in the cup.

I heat the skillet until drops of water dance pretty rapidly over its surface. I really should measure it with an infrared thermometer, but I don't have one. I put a pat of butter in, swirl it around, then wipe most of it out with a bunched up paper towel. This leaves enough of a film of butter to give a little flavor and help with browning, but not enough to make a mess of things.

I've never been able to judge doneness by the bubbles. They help a little, but ultimately I have to life one pancake a little bit to see the color of the underside (which will eventually be the top presentation side). When it's the right golden brown, that's when I flip the pancakes. The second side cooks for much less time.

My preference is to serve pancakes with a mixture of warm maple syrup and melted butter, which basically means putting maple syrup and butter in a Pyrex cup and microwaving it a little (not too much -- maple syrup will bubble over if you're not careful).

Next?

[ChefCrash]

"One Bowl" Pancake Batter.

3 T butter
3 T Sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 Egg
1 1/4 C Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking powder
3/4 C Milk
1 tsp Vanilla extract.

Using the following sequence, the batter can be made in the same bowl.

In a glass bowl, microwave the butter until it just melts.
Add sugar and salt and stir. (This will cool the butter for the next step).
Add the egg and whisk vigorously.
Add all the flour.
Sprinkle the baking powder.
Add most of the milk and mix gently. Add more milk to correct the consistency.
Add vanilla and stir.

I prefer an electric skillet for making the cakes. I'm able to maintain constant temperature better.

Set the skillet temperature to 325*.
Wipe the skillet with a film of corn oil using paper towels.
Check skillet temperature with an Infra Red thermometer (only after you've applied the oil, IR thermometers do not read surface temperature of stainless correctly).

In my skillet I can cook three 5" cakes at a time. The first batch is never pretty. Consequent batches are perfect.

[duck833]

EZ pancakes:

1. Go to Costco and buy their pancake mix in a spray can, it is called "Organic Batter Blaster", normally next to the whipped cream. Heat pan with a little butter, shake the can and hold the can upside down over skillet or the waffle iron, push the nozzle and give it a blast of batter-whatever size pancakes or waffles you want. Flip when ready, cook other side.

Eat, ez cleanup, not even one bowl method!!!!

Over two month shelflife for the product.

www.batterblaster.com

Edited by duck833, 25 December 2007 - 09:23 PM.

[Fat Guy]

Using the following sequence, the batter can be made in the same bowl.

In a glass bowl, microwave the butter until it just melts.

I can't believe I never thought of starting with the butter so as to avoid the use of an additional small bowl.

[snowangel]

Begging pardon, Steven, but I don't think Bisquick makes very good pancakes (it makes fine waffles, however), so do yourself and the family a favour if you want to use a mix and get something like the Hungry Jack buttermilk mix that requires you to add milk, eggs and oil. The mixes that don't require anything but milk are pretty crappy.

But, I always do buttermilk pancakes. Don't worry, if you don't have buttermilk, you can just add lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk and let it set out for a few minutes. Or, you can add the acid to milk the night before and set it in the fridge. And, if I'm planning pancakes for the next morning, I go ahead and get the dry ingredients out and measured.

My recipe is for Buttermilk pancakes is:

1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1 T. sugar
1-2 T. cornmeal
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg
2 T melted butter or oil

Now, I usually double or triple this because the pancakes are good leftover, reheated in the trusty toaster oven for hungry teens. I think the cornmeal adds a very nice touch to the pancakes, giving them an extra nice textural touch.

So, I have my dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the buttermilk. Whisk the egg(s) in the measuring cup you used for the milk. Then, rinse out the liquid measure quickly and zap the butter (or you can do this is a custard cup; I have kids who "love" to load up the dishwasher).

Or, if I haven't planned ahead, I zap the butter in the bowl, add the milk and egg, and whisk to break up the egg and then add the dry ingredients. I use a whisk, and once whisked, I keep a rubber scraper handy for scraping out the bowl, breaking up large lumps of dry ingredients, etc.

(BTW, young kids love watching the action of the acid and baking soda and the burbling).

I actually use a "pitcher" -- it's a Tupperware mix and store (name ???; this is old):



In the meantime, I have put my nice Lodge two-burner griddle on the stove and cranked it up. The griddle is very well seasoned, so I don't need to grease it, and have never had a problem with a pancake sticking. And, once it gets heated, even the part of the griddle between the two burners gets nice and hot, and I can get eight pancakes on the griddle. Since I'm cooking for anywhere from 5-8 people, a skillet just isn't big enough, and I only have one 14" skillet, anyway. I have had electric griddles in the past, and when the second one died a slow and painful death, I decided to go with something that had no cord, no heating element to burn out, and something that was much easier to store.

So, I pour the batter out of my handy dandy pitcher (anyone who ever sees these should buy them -- I have 2-cup, 4-cup and 8-cup ones, and since the plastic is thinner than that of glass "batter bowls," there are virtually no drips on the counter).

I'm not sure how much batter I pour, but my pancakes are about 4" in diameter, maybe a bit more. The batter is thicker than that of a crepe, so it doesn't run much when I pour it on the griddle.

Now, if I'm making blueberry pancakes, they are usually berries from the freezer that we've picked the previous summer up at the cabin. I just sprinkle a few of them on each pancake, but since the berries are frozen, the second side takes a bit longer to cook.

Like you, Steven, I don't necessarily rely on the bubble method to tell when to turn them over, I use the peek on the bottom of the first side.

We serve these with butter and warm syrup. Currently, it's a choice of maple or chokecherry or gooseberry sauce (it was a bountiful fruit year at the cabin). Or, if it's mid-June, and we've got fresh local strawberries that we've picked, it's strawberries and whipped cream or creme fraiche.

Oh, gotta have bacon or sausage on the side!

[paulraphael]

I make pancakes every weekend. It might be the only thing I'm really an expert on. Over the years I've analyzed and tried just about all the major variations, and have developed my own basic forumula. I only sometimes make the basic formula; usually it's some minor or major variation. Sometimes I'm looking for thinner, or thicker, or some kind of flavored version.

I grew up on bisquick pancakes, but they don't taste like pancakes to me anymore. They taste like KFC biscuits. Not in a bad way, but they're not what I'm after. I want pancakes to taste like butter and lightly toasted cake.

I sometimes make buttermilk pancakes, but find them to be too tender most of the time unless I can eat them right out of the pan. If I'm looking for the tart flavor of buttermilk, I just make my regular recipe with cultured butter.

Here's my basic recipe:

1-1/2 cups AP flour
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 whole egg
1 separated egg
3 TB butter
1-1/8 cup milk

-melt butter and set aside
-stir together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
-whisk egg and egg yolk into another bowl, until frothy
-whisk in melted butter
-gently stir liquid ingredients into solid ingredients
-whip egg white to soft peaks
-fold egg whites into batter

This is leavened both by baking powder and the whipped egg white. The result is a light, fluffy texture that still has enoug body to hold up to syrup, fruit, and a bit of handling.

It can be made with a single, unseparated egg, or with both eggs separated and the whites whipped (for thick, light, almost cloudlike pancakes).

Here's a flavored variation that I especially like (also on recipe gullet):

Ligurian lemon poppyseed pancakes

1-1/2 c all purpose flour
1/3 c sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 T poppyseeds (approx)
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/8 c whole milk
1 whole egg
1 separated egg
1 lemon, zest and juice
1-1/2 T unsalted butter
1-1/2 T olive oil

-lightly toast poppyseeds in a small, ungreased saucespan, until they release their fragrance.

-add butter and let it melt. turn heat very low and cook for a few minutes.

-set aside 1TB of the sugar for the whipped egg white. mix zest into the remaining sugar in a mixing bowl, with your fingers, until moist and fragrant

-add other dry ingredients to sugar/zest. stir to blend

-separate one of the eggs and set the white aside, preferably in a copper mixing bowl

-in separate bowl whisk the yolk and the whole egg into milk

-whisk in melted butter/poppyseed slurry and continue whisking until frothy

-stir in the olive oil

-gently stir liquid ingredients into solid ingredients until eveything is moistened. do not beat. do not worry about lumps

-start preheating pan or griddle

-with electric mixer or baloon whisk, whip egg white to soft peaks

-add tablespoon of sugar, and continue whipping to firm peaks. don't overwhip; they should still be glossy and moist.

-stir lemon juice into batter

-fold egg whites into batter

(This recipe inspired by Pierre Hermé)

[snowangel]

I sometimes make buttermilk pancakes, but find them to be too tender most of the time unless I can eat them right out of the pan.

This is exactly why I add some cornmeal -- to avoid the cakey texture.

[natter]

I use a recipe that I got off of allrecipes.com and then tweaked quite a bit over time.

1/2 c barley flour
1/4 c buckwheat flour
1/4 c cake flour
1/4 cup barley flakes
1 T baking powder
1 c buttermilk
2 T grape seed oil
1 T macadamia oil
2 T honey (the darker the better)
1 egg beaten
1 tsp Angostura bitters

I combine the dry, then in a separate bowl combine the oil, honey, and egg. Then I put it all together and let it sit while I take a shower.

Then cook in a 7" non-stick with enough butter to coat the pan.

I put either sliced banana, thin sliced apple, or raspberries on top and cook until the bubbles start to form, flip and finish browning. a little butter, and for the kids a little maple syrup. works great every time.

[chiantiglace]

I like to use an anti griddle to make my pancakes. Nice and frozen stiff.


No seriously, are we just talking about wheat like pancakes here or are we getting adventurous. What about gluten intolerant people, what about potato pancakes, how about similar things like funnel cake. Where are our guidelines here.

I like to make my pancakes from the cream syphon. I first like to incorporate raspberry or blackberry powder into the batter, then toss a few blueberries in during cooking.

Sometimes if I am crazy I add a little maple powder to the mix. Sometimes I use atomized chocolate.

When I am really crazy I will use dry albumen with hibiscus tea and continue making the pancake from that.

But then again, I am a little crazy.

Carry on.

[Fat Guy]

I'd suggest limiting the discussion to "wheat like pancakes" just for the sake of comprehensibility. For potato pancakes, et al., I'd suggest separate topics (which, in some cases, are already out there).

Here's what's in Bisquick:

- Flour (specifically, enriched bleached wheat flour)
- Partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil
- Baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate (in other words, baking powder)
- Dextrose (aka sugar)
- Salt

Hey, that looks a lot like the pancake recipes listed above.

Some people fundamentally don't like the taste of Bisquick-derived products, however it's probably not on account of Bisquick containing any weird ingredients. I think it's all about the ratios. When we do a Bisquick knockoff using flour, baking powder and salt, with a neutral oil added to the recipe (we omit the sugar), it tastes pretty much like Bisquick. When it comes to pancakes, I think the reason some people don't like Bisquick pancakes is simply that the standard ratios called for on the box make a batter that's too stiff. When you add more milk and use larger eggs, it really transforms the end result into something that few if any people would guess is from a mix.

[BarbaraY]

I consider this a KISS recipe. It started from the recipe in Marion Cunningham's Breakfast book. The only change I make is to add a teaspooon of sugar to aid browning.

1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons melted butter.

I mix it all together and cook on my electric griddle set at 375º F.
If I want whole wheat or buckwheat cakes I sub 1/2 cup of those flours and 1/4 cup AP flour and 1 TBS honey in WW cakes or 1 TBS. molasses in Buckwheats.
Dot with your choice of fruit if you like.

Please no vanilla in my pancakes! To many restaurants do this to be creative with the Krusteaze or Sysco mix. Don't like Bisquick for pancakes or waffles.

[paulraphael]

Interesting that that's all there is in bisquick. I wonder if it just has more salt than what I'm used to in pancakes, and that gives it the KFC bicuit flavor I'm noticing.

[Tri2Cook]

There is a restaurant a few hours southeast of where I live (in the closest fairly big city to here) that serves pancakes that I really like. It's a Finnish restaurant and the pancakes look like thin (but not as thin as crepes) standard pancakes but the texture is entirely different than a standard pancake and different than a crepe as well. They're not the least bit cakey or fluffy but they're still tender and not rubbery or eggy. The folks at the restaurant won't budge at all on the recipe, not even hints or general ideas. I've searched Finnish Pancakes and found quite a few recipes but they don't seem to measure up to what the restaurant makes. Anybody know anything about these pancakes they'd be willing to share?

Edit: Forgot to mention that I've done quite a bit of experimenting on these on my own and haven't had much luck with that either. I'm beginning to wonder if the big secret is that they use some kind of commercial mix (although I really don't want to think that).

Edited by Tri2Cook, 26 December 2007 - 09:05 AM.

[RAHiggins1]

I made pancakes on Christmas morning. I just realized why they fell after rising, I forgot to add the butter. The rest of the recipe was as follows;

1 cup milk
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp butter - that I forgot.

I did not melt the butter in the bowl first, but will next time.

Mix butter, egg, milk, sugar and vanilla then sift the remaining ingredients into it.
Stir minimally, there should be little lumps in the batter.

Heat skillet, mine is 12" too. I swathe melted butter in the skillet once and cook the first pancake to test the temperature I also do this to allow the first one to "season" the pan, this fills in the pores in the metal. I usually cook pancakes at medium high. You don't need to oil the pan between pancakes, its the sugar that browns it. Excessive butter or oil is actually what causes pancakes to come out with white splotches instead of an even brown across the cake. The bubble method is relative to pan thickness (heat recovery) and temperature. I typically try to adjust the heat so that as soon as the bubbles on the edges pop its time to flip them allowing most of the batter to rise in the pancake once its flipped. The rest is easy enough, I am liberal with the butter as they come out and get stacked. I also find that a tortilla warmer does a great job of retaining heat until a stack is done.

[Kim Shook]

This is the recipe I was given by a friend years ago when I was doing a really severe low fat diet. They are called 'Feather Pancakes' and turn out very light, high and sweet. They are still my 'go to' pancake because when you add a teaspoon of vanilla, they taste like an airy white cake, which is just what I like in pancakes:

1 c. flour
2 T. baking powder
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. milk
1 T. vegetable oil

you mix the dry then the wet, then put them together. I really like using an electric griddle, which I either wipe with an oiled paper towel or use an oil spray. When I eat pancakes I only use syrup (real maple, if possible - but if not available, I don't turn my nose up at Mrs. Butterworth's or Karo) - no butter. I think that butter is wasted when you use it with syrup and just adds untasted calories.

This sounds like a perfect post-holiday easy dinner. Dinner in pajamas in front of an old movie. At about 5:30 with bedtime by 9. MMMMM. Just what I need!

Kim

[pyrguy]

I have to join fatguy on he Bisquick side of the table. I always add extra liquid. This makes a thinner cake and is not as fluffy but more crepe-like. The grandkids like them just fine. I do agree that it makes a great waffle, especially baked on an antique cast-iron waffle iron.

[jayejo]

My college roommate's MIL gave her this recipe and I love it. Not as much as I love going down the street and ordering Gingerbread Pancakes at the local diner, but I do love them. This is copied straight from the email I still have. God I love her...

1- Egg
1 ¼ cup – buttermilk
2 T. – Veg oil
1 ¼ cup – sifted flour
1 t. sugar
1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt

Heat griddle while mixing batter. Beat egg, buttermilk & veg oil. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to liquid & mix together. Scoop with ¼ cup onto griddle. Cook and enjoy then take a big poop.

[RAHiggins1]

Anyone ever make pancakes with corn meal or corn flour?

[jayejo]

Anyone ever make pancakes with corn meal or corn flour?

I haven't done it before, but my mom and grandpa used to make cornmeal pancakes, or ho-cakes, when I was growing up. They always cooked them in bacon grease too. If you're interested, I'll see if I can dig up the recipe.

[paulraphael]

Anyone ever make pancakes with corn meal or corn flour?

No. There are a lot of techniques for making pancakes more tender ... they include low protein starches like these, or cake flour, or sour cream, or buttermilk. I stay away from them in general (with ocassional exception of buttermilk), because for my tastes they make the pancakes too tender. I don't like pancakes that deflate or disintegrate after soaking up syrup or having fruit tossed on top.

It might come down to mixing methods. If you're at all agressive while mixing the ingredients after they've been moistened, you're going to develop extra gluten in the flour. This can result in tough pancakes. But if you mix gently, pancakes stay tender even if made with unbleached AP flour.

I use a rubber spatula, and after pouring the wet ingredients into the dry, I mix by scraping down the sides of the bowl and basically folding the dry and wet ingredients together until they're all moistened (but not homogenous). It's important to thoroughly mix the dry ingredients by stirring, before adding the wet ones, because they won't be properly distributed otherwise.

If I'm looking for extra lightness and airiness, then in addition to the chemical leavening I fold in a whipped egg white. The resulting texture is great. The batter tends to sit pretty tall in the pan if you do this, so you'll need to cook with lower heat.

[riboflavinjoe]

Next?

pretty basic stuff, but it works:

For my pancakes, I think of my pancakes as seven ingredients: 4 dry, 3 wet.
the dry:
all purpose white flour (about one and half cups)
baking powder (about a teaspoon)
salt (a pinch)
sugar (two tablespoons)

the wet:
milk
egg (1)
melted unsalted butter (say, a good centimeter off a pound)

the process:

melt the butter, let it cool off

in the meantime, combine the dry ingredients, and stir them up so everything gets evenly distributed. Then, add the milk and the egg, and beat it together with a whisk. I never put in a quantity of milk, because I never know how much goes into them. The thing is, I just go by eye, and you have to add enough milk to make the texture pourable. you can't have it too thick, you can't have it too thin. The batter should go into a pan and stay about 5-7mm thick, no more no less.

you add the melted butter at the end, and make sure you make everything into a consistent batter, make sure there are no lumps of flour, and that the butter is well integrated into the rest of the mix.

to cook them, get a good quality nonstick pan, or I have taken to using a cast iron pan with a minimal spraying of PAM, turn it up on medium heat, and when hot, put some batter in the pan, to make a nice big pancake. it should kind of go "tssssssss" when you put it in, this would be the premium temperature to cook it. the pancake is ready to turn over when all the bubbles form on the top of the pancake, and then burst, leaving the pancake looking like a crater filled disc. flip the pancake carefully, let it cook for a bit on the other side, and then eat it right away. you cannot let it sit for a while, it's nowhere near as good when it is a few minutes old.

some factors to watch out for:

flour/baking powder ratio. Baking powder makes the whole thing rise, and if you have too much of the powder in relation to the flour, then it will rise too much, if you have too little, it won’t rise enough. Like I said, the pancake should be about 5mm thick when it goes into the pan, the flour-baking powder ratio will be something you need to get the knack of.

Thickness in relation to flour vs. milk. Again, if there is too little milk, it will be too thick, and possibly lumpy. You have to use enough milk to dilute the batter enough to get it to the proper consistency, to achieve 5-7mm thickness in the pan.

Temperature of the pan. It is something you will have to play with, and you will have to adjust to your stove. The first pancake is usually hard to get perfect, but you make the pan-temperature & thickness adjustments after you see how the first one turns out.

[6ppc]

Anybody know anything about these pancakes they'd be willing to share?

Edit: Forgot to mention that I've done quite a bit of experimenting on these on my own and haven't had much luck with that either. I'm beginning to wonder if the big secret is that they use some kind of commercial mix (although I really don't want to think that).

I don't have a specific Finnish recipe per se but the recipe below produces a result similar to what you describe, more crepelike. This makes anough for 2 people but scales well.

1 cup flour
1 egg
milk
salt to taste

Combine flour and egg whisk in milk until the batter's texture is about like heavy cream. cook in a lightly greased non no-stick pan, seasoned cast iron or a well seasoned carbon steel crepe pan work well.

[paulraphael]

FG, do you want to include crepes in this discussion?

[tammylc]

My formula is from the Joy of Cooking, with some whole wheat pastry flour substituted for some of the AP.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup AP flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/4 c milk
1 egg

I mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave, add in the milk, then the egg. Add to dry ingredients, stir to mix, add extra milk if needed.

I use an old griddle - aluminum coated in non-stick. I spray it down with a little Pam, then use a (scant) 1/4 measuring cup to portion out my pancakes. I can cook 5 at a time on the griddle and the recipe above makes about 12.

We eat some right away, and keep the rest in the fridge for weekday breakfasts for the 3 year old. He likes to eat them with cream cheese. With 3 tbsp sugar, they are pretty sweet all on their own, so a friend of mine likes them because her kids will eat them plain - she doesn't have to worry about syrup, etc.

[prasantrin]

The recipe I use is this one, which I got from a children's book about maple syrup:

250 mL all-purpose flour (1 cup)
10 mL baking powder (2 teaspoons)
a pinch of salt
5 mL sugar (1 teaspoon)
1 egg
175 mL milk (about 3/4 cup)
15 mL melted butter (1 tablespoon)
10 mL vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients and make a well. Mix wet ingredients together, and dump in the well of the dry ingredients. Don't overmix.

I find this produces a very thick batter, and the resulting pancakes are very fluffy. I can usually only get 2 or 3 pancakes of what I consider to be average-size out of this recipe, which is fine with me since I usually only eat one.

One tip my dad taught me was to let the batter sit for a bit. He said it would make the pancakes fluffier.

I like to use oil in the pan--it makes the pancakes even lighter, and also gives the pancakes a crunchier exterior (which i like).

I always eat pancakes with more butter and some maple syrup, even when I've added cheese to the pancake (but batter in the pan, add slices of cheese, then cover the cheese with a bit more batter).

To add a few more recipes, this topic was started just a couple of weeks ago, and includes people's favourite pancake recipes. spaghetttti and I have almost the same recipe (and I think she likes to use oil in the pan, too!).

Edited by prasantrin, 27 December 2007 - 04:19 PM.

[pennylane]

There is a restaurant a few hours southeast of where I live (in the closest fairly big city to here) that serves pancakes that I really like. It's a Finnish restaurant and the pancakes look like thin (but not as thin as crepes) standard pancakes but the texture is entirely different than a standard pancake and different than a crepe as well. They're not the least bit cakey or fluffy but they're still tender and not rubbery or eggy. The folks at the restaurant won't budge at all on the recipe, not even hints or general ideas. I've searched Finnish Pancakes and found quite a few recipes but they don't seem to measure up to what the restaurant makes. Anybody know anything about these pancakes they'd be willing to share?

Edit: Forgot to mention that I've done quite a bit of experimenting on these on my own and haven't had much luck with that either. I'm beginning to wonder if the big secret is that they use some kind of commercial mix (although I really don't want to think that).

Do you think they could be made with potato, like lefse? I know those are Norwegian, but, you know, same neck of the woods... and those are thinner than pancakes but not as thin as crepes, and tender without being cakey at all.

I know what you mean about the secret possibly being a commercial mix... I spent years trying to duplicate a recipe for the cornbread at a barbecue place which everyone was crazy about, only to discover that it was actually just a blend of two different kinds of commercial mix. Hmph.

As for my pancake recipe, well, I use some of the ones already listed here but also do make a very simple cornmeal pancake using 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1/4 tsp baking soda, a pinch of salt, smidgeon of butter, and enough buttermilk to make a thick batter. Simple and delicious, and just enough for for me!!

[Shel_B]

Been using this for a few years. I sometimes modify it, but thought just posting the original recipe would be a better choice. You can make your own mods but have the original as a guide.


Bette's Buttermilk Pancakes
Bette Kroening - Bette's Oceanview Dinner, Berkeley

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
½ cup milk
¼ cup unsalted butter
Berries or nuts (your choice)
oil for griddle
-----------------------------------------------------------

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Lightly beat the eggs with the buttermilk, milk, and melted butter.

Just before you're ready to make the pancakes, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir just enough to blend. Batter should be lumpy. If you want to add fruit or nuts, add them now, or you can sprinkle them on the pancakes while they are on the griddle.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or heavy skillet over med-high heat (about 375 on an electric griddle).

Pour ¼ cup batter per pancake onto the griddle or skillet, spacing the pancakes so they don't run together. When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes and the underside is lightly browned, turn and cook for about 2 minutes more, until browned on the bottom.

Edited by Shel_B, 27 December 2007 - 09:51 PM.

[Jim Dixon]

My basic recipe is from the 1931 Joy of Cooking, which uses the term 'griddle cakes' for we call pancakes. I've adapted it over the years, but the critical step I still use is separating the eggs (an option from Joy), beating the whites stiff, and folding them in at the end. The result is a light and fluffy cake.

For the past few years I've been getting amazing corn meal from Ayers Creek Farm here in NW Oregon. Anthony and Carol Boutard grow heirloom corn varieties that make great polenta and corn cakes. If you don't live in Oregon and make a point of tracking it down, you could substitute corn meal frm Anson Mills or something similar.

I think it was Charlie Trotter who popularized candied bacon, but there are a lot of recipes out there now. My approach is pretty simple but good. Anyway, here's my current pancake recipe....


Candied Bacon Corn Cakes

Use good, thick cut bacon. Pour a mound of brown sugar (a few cups, at least) onto a plate, then press the bacon into to sort of coat each slice (and I’ll admit I actually used a little olive oil to coat each slice so the sugar stuck to it).

Lay the bacon slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan (I oiled the parchment, which is probably not necessary). Sprinkle the leftover sugar over the top, and bake at 350F for about 30-40 minutes, or until the sugar is bubbling away and the bacon looks pretty dark. Remove the bacon strips immediately to another clean sheet of parchment. As they’ll cool they’ll harden (candy-makers probably understand the hard ball stage of sugar cooking, but I don’t).

You also get a bonus of bacon candy, the sheets of greasy sugar that form on the pan. After they cool, you can just lift them off. I haven’t figured out how to use them, but they taste good.

For the corn cakes, combine 1/2 c corn meal, A scant 1 c flour (eg, a little less than 1 cup), 1/2 t baking power, 1/2 t baking soda, and about 1 t fine sea salt (or kosher). Crumble 2-3 strips of the candied bacon and stir into the dry ingredients.

Separate two eggs, then beat the yolks with 1 c yogurt and 1 cup milk (you can also use cream or creme fraiche for the liquid, and add a little water if it seems too thick). Combine with the dry ingredients, but don’t mix too much...just enough to combine everything.

Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then fold into the batter.

Drop spoonfulls of the fairly thick batter onto a medium hot griddle (I use cast iron, no grease). Cook until the bubbles open on the surface and the edges look dry, then flip carefully and cook for a couple more minutes. Serve with butter and real maple syrup.

You can also make these with plain bacon. Cook it first, then crumble, or chop the cheaper ends and pieces and cook until brown. Add to the batter like the candied bacon.

Jim

Edited by Jim Dixon, 30 December 2007 - 10:18 AM.

[slkinsey]

I have had very good feedback on these lemon ricotta pancakes. I forget where I got the recipe:

1 cup high quality ricotta (or drained overnight if Polly-O is the best you can do)
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs, separated
0.5 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup AP flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Pinch salt
Butter

Beat together ricotta, sour cream and egg yolks. Beat egg whites medium-stiff. Stir dry ingredients into cheese mixture well (do not beat). Stir in lemon juice and zest, then fold in beaten egg whites very gently. 3-5 minutes per side in butter. Makes a very light, moist and tender pancake.

I serve with a warm fruit compote.

[earlgrey_44]

FG's apology for using Bisquick is graciously accepted. The world suffers from inadequate Bisquick guilt.

With a nod to Chris Kimball for his "Cloudcake" Recipe:
Serves 4-6

2 c ww pastry flour
2 T sugar
1/2 t baking soda
1 t table salt

2 c low fat buttermilk
1/3 c sour cream
3 large eggs, separated, beaten whites folded in at the end
3 T unsalted butter, melted

My particular prejudice here is that while I happily eat many a delicacy made with white flour, I cannot abide chewing my way through a whole plate of cakey white flour pancakes without eventually feeling like I’m chomping away on a cud of sweet dairy glue.

The whole wheat pastry flour gives these cakes the substance of real food.
At the same time, the buttermilk, sour cream, separated egg approach lightens up and tenderizes the whole thing so they avoid the “leaden slab” image that comes to mind when whole wheat is mentioned. Pastry flour is important since whole wheat bread flour is an irredeemable pancake disaster.

If you are not so afflicted as I, you can substitute all purpose flour in the above and almost have the Kimball Cloud Cake. Chris punches up the recipe from stratocumulus to cumulonimbus by adding an additional egg white. I don’t know what to do with the extra yolk and don’t like throwing it away so I usually stick with the three eggs.

I followed chefcrash’s “one bowl” method today (see up thread) – I can’t believe I didn’t think of that before either – but I still had to use my zabaglione bowl to beat the egg whites.

Hoo-ray for Tammylc for using the magical ww pastry flour! With the right iron, a similar recipe to this will produce 100% whole wheat Belgian waffles so light and airy as to elicit reactions of shocked incredulity from those informed of what they are eating after tasting them.