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Recipe File

Basic Pancakes

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I make a great buttermilk pancake, but I don't usually keep buttermilk in stock. That means an extra trip to the store Saturday morning if I feel like making pancakes. So, this Saturday, I decided to test the The New Joy of Cooking's Basic Pancakes recipe which uses ingredients every kitchen should always have in stock.

I used (from the top, clockwise) 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1-1/2 cup milk, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted), 2 large eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.


I combined the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) into a large bowl and whisked a little.


Now, I whisked the wet ingredients (milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla) together.


I then poured the wet ingredients onto the dry and whisk, but not too long. Just enough to combine thoroughly. If there are some lumps left, it's okay. When the batter cooks it'll smooth out and you won't taste it.


Joy of Cooking now says to fold in any additions now. I added some frozen blueberries that I thawed quickly in a some warm water and drained. This is where the recipe makes a fatal mistake. More on that later.


I then quickly prepare my two burner griddle. You can use an electric griddle as well. In both cases, the surface should be smooth and non-stick.


Turning both burners on, I heated the griddle until a few drops of water tossed onto the surface ran around franticly. (If the water jumps off the griddle, then turn down the heat. If the water just sits there, increase the heat.) Now, I melted a pad of butter onto the griddle to lubricate it.


Using a paper towel, I rubbed the butter around until it evenly coated the pan and I couldn't see any butter. You don't want too much fat on the griddle or you'll be frying the pancakes.


I scooped 1/3 cups of batter onto the griddle to make a pancake. This is when I discovered that the blueberries impeded the flow of the batter. Usually, when I make my buttermilk pancakes, I pour the batter out steadily onto one spot and it forms a near perfect circle. I then sprinkle my filling on top of the batter on the griddle. Now I know why. First, the batter doesn't flow evenly and forms alien shapes on the griddle because of the blueberries. Second, the blueberries are unevenly distributed and some pancakes have some and some have a lot. Don't make this mistake - put the fillings in after the batter hits the griddle, not in the batter. You might notice in this picture there's a big lump in the batter of the second pancake. Don't worry about that, it evens out and can't be tasted. The pancake will be tough if we over mix.


I cooked the first side until bubbles covered the pancake surface and begin to pop. I then flipped the pancake over.


Once the second side has lightly browned (about half the time it took to cook the first side), I removed and served. If you need to make a lot of pancakes, you can stack them on a plate in a 200°F oven. On Good Eats, Alton Brown recommends placing paper towels between each layer of pancake, but I find that it works for me to stack without the paper towel waste. Usually, Tina and I can't eat too many pancakes at a time, but I still make a full batch.


Extra pancakes can then be frozen. A quick trip to the toaster or toaster oven will produce homemade pancakes much better than the supermarket frozen kind. This picture is of a buttermilk pancake that came out very circular because the filling was added after the batter was poured on the griddle.


The results of the tasting proved that these pancakes were quite good - on par with the buttermilk pancakes. A little fruit topping or maple syrup and they resulted in a delicious breakfast. So, I've decided to promote this recipe from a Test Recipe to one for the Recipe File.


Basic Pancakes
Batter
1-1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flourmixwhisk briefly
3 Tbs. (38 g) sugar
1-1/2 tsp. (7 g) baking powder
1/2 tsp. (3 g) salt
3 Tbs. (45 g) melted, unsalted butterwhisk
1-1/2 cup (355 mL) milk
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
Copyright Michael Chu 2004
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Written by Michael Chu
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64 comments on Basic Pancakes:(Post a comment)

On May 14, 2005 at 03:27 AM, an anonymous reader said...
how many pancakes at what diameter does this recipe create?


On May 14, 2005 at 03:27 AM, an anonymous reader said...
p.s. pictures are not coming up.


On May 14, 2005 at 03:28 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Fortunately my mother taught me how to cook. All I usally need is a push toward an idea.

Buttermilk,
a) use week old milk, that has just spoilt to taste. If there are chucks it is way to late. Just the bad tasting milk.
b) Or add roughly a tablespoon of vinger to a cup of milk. and leave out for 10-20 minutes(I usally set up the milk, then prep and use the other ingredients).


On May 14, 2005 at 03:29 AM, Eric (guest) said...
It's good to point out that you should mix the wet and dry ingredients together as little as possible to avoid producing making them tough. The batter should be quite lumpy and if there are lumps of dry, don't worry, they will cook out. Ten seconds is about as much as you need to mix, and use more of a folding action than a stir.

Also, if you want to substitute buttermilk or soured milk (see your recipe substitutions page) reduce the baking powder to about 1t and add about 1/4t of baking soda to counter the added acidity.


On May 14, 2005 at 03:30 AM, an anonymous reader said...
For a lighter pancake, try separating the eggs. Use the yolks as per normal, beat the whites until thickened and glossy.

Then fold in 1/3rd of the white into the pancake batter to lighten it, then the next 1/3rd and the final third.


On May 14, 2005 at 03:31 AM, an anonymous reader said...
You can freeze buttermilk for later use. I freeze in 1/2 cup increments, using freezer baggies. Works like a charm! I never throw unused buttermilk away, and no more running to the grocery store at 7 am on a Saturday, either!


On May 14, 2005 at 03:31 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Instead of buttermilk, I squeeze half a lemon in the milk - be sure to use a large cup because it get bubbly and rises.


On May 14, 2005 at 03:32 AM, an anonymous reader said...
I guess that there is a mistake in the summary at the end. Instead of "3 tsp. sugar" it should be "3 Tbs. sugar".


On May 14, 2005 at 03:32 AM, pena (guest) said...
power topping: tiny bits of apple, salami and cheese

also, this recipe works in my waffle maker


On May 14, 2005 at 03:32 AM, an anonymous reader said...
This was super to read! We are going to make this recipe tomorrow morning for sure! Nothing better then planning your Breky for Sat. morning on the night before! Wish us luck, ( though not needed with this Kickin' run down).


On May 15, 2005 at 02:52 AM, an anonymous reader said...
8P hey this is really kool. i can understand it and everything.. its real simple.. thanx alot.. hope it nice gonna go make it now... try to anyways.. :D


On May 27, 2005 at 02:28 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Cinnamon is good too
I've been using this pancake recipe for a while now, and I always add some Cinnamon to it. I never measure how much I put in, I just add it to the dry ingredients before mixing with the wet ingredients, enough so it discolours the mixture a bit.

The result is the best cinnamon pancakes ever!!! Awsome with just some syrup.


On June 02, 2005 at 01:31 PM, Mike (guest) said...
Subject: Pancake recipe
Just wanted to say as an Expat now living in The Netherlands that I went looking for what we at home would assume was a "Basic"(baking soda and baking powder) remembering from Sunday mornings with Mom that I needed one or the other to make mouth watering pancakes...Several hours later, I'm now looking at a familiar mustard colored box of baking soda(The funny thing is all of the writing...is in CHINESE, seriously!!) and the familiar maroon can of baking powder is now contained in a plastic jar with some oddly sounding chemical name. (but I was assured that the was the real deal), so Now looking foreward to next Sunday's breakfast now that I have your recipe in hand. Thanks, Mike
PS I also have a serious craving for freezer jam, any suggestions for Certo? Written to Kraft to see if they can give me another name here, but as of yet, no reply...


On July 09, 2005 at 02:50 PM, butterlite (guest) said...
Subject: Souring milk for buttermil substitute
the best way i found to sour milk is to use fresh lemon juice. it adds a beautiful flavor and tartness to the batter. i would never use spoiled milk.

mix 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice into 1 cup of milk. Let is 'sour" for 20 minutes. i prefer this to buttermilk.


On September 06, 2005 at 11:17 PM, cjmarks67 (guest) said...
Subject: types of flour
Hay guys you can use self raising flour in stead of plain flour & baking soda any way good cooking all the best CJ :)


On October 10, 2005 at 02:09 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Pancakes - From Joy of Cooking
This has been my basic recipe for pancakes for years, since the 70's. One tip that I just learned, is to wait until the griddle is almost hot to mix the dry and wet ingredients together. The chemical reaction starts then, so the first batch or two will be the fluffiest pancakes. I made these last night for supper, and they were great.
I also make a compote of mixed berries for on the top - strawberries, blueberries, and black raspberries, with a touch of sugar. Maple syrup is then optional.
Enjoy!


On October 23, 2005 at 12:24 PM, Andross (guest) said...
Subject: Pancake additions
Two things that make great additions to any pancake recipe:
    Black Pepper
    Bacon Grease

Just add to taste, I always add some to my buttermilk pancakes


On November 29, 2005 at 12:35 AM, vegangel (guest) said...
Subject: [b]vegan, wheat-free, sugar-free version of recipe[/b]
I made my own version of this recipe a week ago, with a few substitutions:

[color=red:300a2ffd96]1/2 cup rye flour, 1/2 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup barley flour sifted together
5 packets Splenda
1/4 tsp salt (not 1/2)
1-1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk (Silk or Vitasoy)
3 Tbs melted Earth Balance margarine (vegan)
Egg Replacer (by Ener-G) for 2 eggs[/color:300a2ffd96]

Other ingredients remain the same, and prep & cooking are the same as well. They were phenomenal! I didn't put anything on them, and they were the best pancakes I've ever tasted. FYI: You can also sour soy milk with vinegar or lemon juice to use as a buttermilk substitute for baking.


On December 16, 2005 at 10:07 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: A smooth/sour variation
I tried this with some sourcream last year with good results. I wanted the buttermilk tartness and had some sourcream in the fridge. Alone the sourcream is a bit thick for the recipe, so I use a mix of sourcream and milk (2% or less) to thin. This mixture should equal the ammount of regular milk the original recipe calls for.

I've also inadvertantly left out the butter before, and been pleased with the results. Both of these variations do affect the texture, something you may or may not like. Specifically, the sourcream variation makes the cakes a little denser but with more lasting moisture than regular pancakes. (Think poundcake verses genoise.) This makes them really wondeful when you plan on saving some for later in the day.


S


On January 26, 2006 at 10:51 AM, Swelter (guest) said...
Subject: Pancakes
I don't use any baking powder or sour the milk, and my pancakes taste great. I come from England and so I serve them the British way, sprinkled with caster sugar and drenched with fresh lemon juice then rolled up.


On January 28, 2006 at 02:14 PM, oyo said...
vegangel wrote:
I made my own version of this recipe a week ago, with a few substitutions:


i substitute some oat flour too; it gives them a great texture.

Swelter wrote:
I don't use any baking powder or sour the milk, and my pancakes taste great. I come from England and so I serve them the British way, sprinkled with caster sugar and drenched with fresh lemon juice then rolled up.


sounds like some good crepes (:


On January 28, 2006 at 05:51 PM, skunkworks (guest) said...
Subject: pancakes
I've been using the "Joy of Cooking" pancake recipe for many years, and have adjusted it to my taste by trial and error. I think that 3 Tbs sugar is far too sweet; i use only 1 Tbs. Since i use a soapstone griddle I also reduce the butter to a single Tbs; this should also work well for other non-stick cooking surfaces. The reduced butter makes for a fluffier texture.


On February 28, 2006 at 04:35 PM, *morningstar said...
I tried this recipe this morning with very good results. The pancakes were light and fluffy, but still firm. They were sweet, but not overwhelmingly so and there was a nice taste from the butter. There was a noticable egg flavor to the pancakes, but since I like egg, this wasn't an issue. However, serving these to someone who doesn't like eggs might not be a good idea.

I froze the leftovers and plan on heating them in my Hello Kitty toaster for quick breakfast.

I'm never using pancake mix ever again.


On April 18, 2006 at 09:06 AM, an anonymous reader said...
YUM! I made these pancakes this morning but I substituted .5 cups of flour for whole wheat flour. They turned out wonderfully and my husband thought they tasted like french toast-pancakes. Oh and your site rocks!


On April 22, 2006 at 11:24 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Whole Wheat Pancakes
One great way I've found to make somewhat heartier pancakes is to use whole wheat flour and some rolled oats instead of all purpose flour as well as using brown sugar instead of normal granulated sugar. Also if you add some cinnamon to taste and about 1/2 to 3/4 of finely chopped apple (use a tart apple such as a granny smith) it makes a great addition. This is a great meal that will stick to your ribs.


On May 01, 2006 at 06:49 AM, Popeye (guest) said...
Subject: Naming & ingredients
This recipe should be called "Pancakes" instead of "Basic Pancakes". It will be easier to find when the amount of recipes grows.
The blueberries are not listed under ingredients. Why? Why? Why?
And it's much better to use frozen blueberries (unless you actually [u:0fec031caa]want[/u:0fec031caa] blue pancakes)


On May 22, 2006 at 11:39 AM, Robert (guest) said...
Subject: Pancakes
I've been making an older version of this recipe for years with great results. However, it's much better if you separate the eggs. Add the yolks to the melted butter, milk, etc., and then combine with the dry ingredients. Whip the egg whites with a mixer until stiff and then fold into the mixture. I add banana slices and/or chocolate chips after pouring the batter onto the griddle. I find that if I use a teflon or other non-stick surfance, I don't need to butter it.


On June 24, 2006 at 05:42 AM, inzane (guest) said...
Subject: even bluberries
if you want to mix the blueberries evenly in the batter, crush them in a separate bowl before mixing them in.


On July 08, 2006 at 01:04 PM, rykthia (guest) said...
Subject: two comments
two comments

(1) my favorite "fruity" pancakes are apple-cakes. They're fabulous. You can either dump finely chopped apples right into the batter, or, better yet, slice apples super thin and place them on top of the uncooked pancake side once you've already poured the batter. You can also sprinkle a little sugar (just a tad) on the thin apple slices, then flip and wait for the pancakes to cook. They're fabulous. The apple gets carmelized and melty, and now I'm almost drooling just thinking about it. I prefer having sugar/sweet stuff as a topping, so I skip any sugar in the batter and just sprinkle it on the apple sided cake.

(2) my favorite substitution is to use plain yogurt instead of milk. I got this idea after eating some really delicious "ricotta pancakes" at a restaurant - they have a dense, almost chewy texture with lemon that is quite nice. I haven't tried ricotta at home, but I have found that the plain yogurt duplicates this dense texture quite nicely. How the substitution goes depends on the brand of yogurt (some are more watery than others) - use your best guess and dilute with a little milk. Typically I do about 1:1 and add a tablespoon or milk. Alternately, if you make apple cakes with yogurt, add a little applesauce too. That's yummy. I've also found when I'm not in the mood for maple syrup, mixing a little yogurt and jam makes a good topping too.


On August 09, 2006 at 01:12 PM, cookin' engineer (guest) said...
Subject: joy of cooking pancakes
When using a non-stick pan or griddle, I have found it totally unnecessary to butter or grease the pan. The amount of butter in the batter is more than enough to do the job.

Also, when melting the butter in the microwave, try putting the milk in along side. You then get warm milk and melted butter to mix together and it keeps the butter from congealing (as it does when you mix it with cold milk).


On October 27, 2006 at 06:38 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: other variations
I have been delegated the role of making pancakes on sunday mornings, and have had the following finds
Use of wholmeal self raising flour gives a stronger flavour
Add a bit of olive oil instead of butter for a bit of oomph
Prepare the batter the night before - allows it to relax
I prefer vegetarian fed eggs

In addition I will try the apple recipe this sunday it sounds really good, but the girls like theirs with yougurt ice cream


On November 26, 2006 at 10:02 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: add flour
when adding any berry to a batter.muffin, pancake, etc. Do not unthaw them the heat in the pan or oven will defrost them. your first mistake was thawing them in water, this thinned your batter. Second, a baker taught me that if you shake the berries in a little flour before you put them in the batter this will allow the berries to latch to the batter instead of falling to the bottom."


On March 07, 2007 at 11:28 PM, Friend (guest) said...
Subject: Even color
Anyone know what determines whether or not you get an even color on your pancakes? I tend to get the splotchy surfaces with bubble-shaped areas like here.

What I'm looking for are:

http://www.pmachinehowto.com/howtogallery/pancakes.jpg
http://www.sportalicious.com/Images/pancakes.jpg

That kind of even browning. Is it simply finding the right temperature?


On March 10, 2007 at 02:34 PM, Renzukoken (guest) said...
Subject: Wow
Wow, these pancakes were amazing! I'm a 16 year old with possibly no cooking skills what-so-ever and I tried your recipe because everyone was out of the house when I woke up and I wanted food. :] Now, I am unoffically the Pancake King of the house. >_>


On March 11, 2007 at 11:58 PM, GaryProtein said...
Subject: Re: Even color
Friend wrote:
Anyone know what determines whether or not you get an even color on your pancakes? I tend to get the splotchy surfaces with bubble-shaped areas like here.

What I'm looking for are:

http://www.pmachinehowto.com/howtogallery/pancakes.jpg
http://www.sportalicious.com/Images/pancakes.jpg

That kind of even browning. Is it simply finding the right temperature?


My guess is the uneven browning is caused by uneven bubbling of the batter and loss of surface contact with the pan as it cooks and starts to rise. I believe you didn't have the baking powder evenly mixed into your batter.


On March 13, 2007 at 02:27 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Even color
Friend wrote:
Anyone know what determines whether or not you get an even color on your pancakes? I tend to get the splotchy surfaces with bubble-shaped areas like here.

Did both your sides look like that? Most pancakes have a pretty side (the side that hit the griddle first) and a not as pretty side.


On March 25, 2007 at 10:39 PM, an anonymous reader said...
i tried to solve the "blueberries being unevenly distributed among pancakes" problem by dropping blueberries on the batter after it's poured on the frying pan....and the berries ended up getting singed when i turned the pancakes over, because the berries stuck out above the batter, and had no coating of batter to protect them.


On April 17, 2007 at 07:30 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Re: Even color
After many years of cooking pancakes using plain mixes, "doctored up" mixes, and "from scratch" recipes (as presented here) I have found that they can produce a wide variety of pancakes textures. In my experience, the variation is color I find is caused by three factors: temperature, grease and batter viscosity.

1) Temperature of the griddle. Your picture looks as if the pancakes were fried at high temperature. I use an electric griddle and keep it set 375-400F. When I have tried to make pancakes while camping (where the temperature is difficult to control), mine frequently come out looking like your picture.

2) Amount of grease. Remember that the recipe said, "You don't want too much fat on the griddle or you'll be frying the pancakes"? I take a paper towel and put a small amount of vegetable oil on it (I presume you could do the same with any fat - i.e. butter, margarine, etc.), then thinly coat the griddle. Do this before it gets hot and you'll find that it take a very small amount of oil indeed (especially if your recipe already includes a fat - i.e. oil or butter).

3) Thickness of the batter. I find this to be the most variable thing about pancake batter. A thick batter will produce very thick, fluffy (sometime crumbly or cake-y) pancakes, whereas a thin batter will produce thin, tougher pancakes (a very thin batter will make a crepe!). In general, the thicker batter pancakes will brown more evenly (notice in your pictures that the 'even color' pancakes are all thicker?) The key that I have found is that the difference between "thick" and "thin" batter can be as little as 1-2 Tbsp of liquid (milk is usually what I use to thin). So, after I make up the batter, I take a look at the viscosity and add a SMALL amount of milk if necessary.

Of course, this is very subjective and requires some experience as "how thin" the batter should be (not to mention variability in personal preferences), but hopefully some of this will be useful.

Good luck, and I love the site. Reminds me a lot of AB's GEs!


On April 18, 2007 at 09:37 AM, youngcook said...
Subject: Cool
Excellent,Michael. Looks great. Will try to do. :D


On April 18, 2007 at 08:51 PM, opqdan said...
My wife used to complain to no end how I would buy buttermilk, use a little for some recipe, and then the rest would spoil in the fridge (spoiling bittermilk takes a long time, but I use it so rarely that it happens). I was having a tough time keeping buttermilk in the house for the once-in-a-blue-moon that I needed it.

The America's Test kitchen cookbook had a great suggestion to use dried buttermilk as a substitute in baked goods. I've only been able to find a single company that makes it (the same one they show), but fortunately it seems to be almost universally available in grocery stores (at least in Cleveland, OH and Seattle, WA).

I can notice no difference at all when I use it in baked goods (pancakes, bread, biscuits etc), but I would not recomend using it if you are making a dressing or something, as the texture is off.

Once opened, the package says that you need to keep it in the fridge, but it should keep indefinately (I suppose).

It comes in a cylindrical white container found in the baking aisle, and has a chef face on it. Sorry I can't remember the brand.

Anyways, this is a great way to keep buttermilk on hand to make wonderfull pancakes without having to worry about actual buttermilk or squeezing lemons into normal milk.


On April 18, 2007 at 08:58 PM, youngcook said...
Yep, you are right, man.


On April 18, 2007 at 10:17 PM, cloud_swift said...
I've used that recipe for years. It works fine with a seasoned steel pan or stainless or anodized aluminum. It needs a bit of butter in the pan to get started, but after that the butter in the recipe is enough to keep it from sticking even when I reduce the butter by half.

I agree that uneven browning can be caused by too much grease on the pan. The first pan full usually comes out a little uneven (but I haven't been toweling off the pan as Michael suggests) but it still tastes good.

When my kids were little, I would sometimes make a simple design like a smiley face by pouring the eyes and smile first than pouring the pancake around it so it the color difference makes the design.


On May 06, 2007 at 11:50 AM, Gmoney (guest) said...
Subject: Pancakes
This recipe from [u:a3de008bf9]The Joy of Cooking[/u:a3de008bf9] has been a family favourite for three generations. I've never found a better recipe!

BTW, who doesn't[u:a3de008bf9] like blue pancakes?[/u:a3de008bf9]


On October 05, 2007 at 01:06 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Donot turn out
Ijust tried thesespancake and they did noy turn out good. I cooked them to dark brown and there still not done in the middle. there gos my breakfast.


On October 05, 2007 at 02:05 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Donot turn out
Anonymous wrote:
I cooked them to dark brown and there still not done in the middle. there gos my breakfast.

How much batter did you use for each pancake? Thick batter works best with smaller sized pancakes (6-8 inches). Also, how high was your heat? (How long did it take to brown the pancakes?) If the heat is too high, the pancakes will brown faster than it can cook through. The first side should take about 2-3 minutes (before bubbles cover the top).


On October 20, 2007 at 12:12 AM, tomfy said...
Subject: buttermilk for pancakes
My experience with buttermilk has been that it keeps very well in the fridge, much longer than the date printed on carton, maybe one month more. Even so we get a quart, and use about 1/2 or 1 cup for pancakes each weekend and it is hard to use it up. But I agree I wouldn't use milk soured by whatever organism happened to be in your milk (and which had survived pasteurization), and using vinegar or lemon juice, although it works well is not really the same...


On November 12, 2007 at 02:47 PM, Chris PP Jr (guest) said...
Subject: Pancake Recipe
I used it in Denver, which we cool high altitude. It worked great. They were on the thin side but very tasty.

It makes about 12patties 6" Inch in Diameter Pancakes


On May 02, 2008 at 01:54 PM, Naomi (guest) said...
Subject: Basic Pancakes to Buttermilk Sour Cream Pancakes
Almost my recipe. I have developed a pancake recipe that my family and friends covet. The Basic Pancake recipe you used would be altered a bit.

Increase the Baking Powder to 2 teaspoons
Add 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar

Do use 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk

Add 2 Tablespoons of Real Sour Cream. Do Not use low/non fat versions
Instead of the butter use 3 Tablesppons of vegetable oil

I always have all my dry ingredients in one larger bowl and mix all the wet ingreients in another bowl thoroughly then pour all at once into the dry, then blend well and let sit about 3 minutes. The batter will kind of fluff and get a touch airy, don't stir it down. Just ladle out the batter on your griddle and cook as usual.

These pancakes properly made are fluffy and light with a wonderful flavor.


On November 18, 2008 at 05:21 AM, toshiro (guest) said...
Things I found while making pancakes using this recipe (about 20 iterations so far, no precise notes, I have to admit, much to my shame):

I use less milk and more flour (200g flour, 0.33l milk, last step in my iteration, worked out pretty well so far), but very large eggs (53g+). If I use 190g flour, 0.355l milk, the batter gets a bit too runny and produces too large pancakes for my taste. I also use twice as much baking powder (the little envelopes over here hold exactly twice as much, and I'm somewhat loathe to leave them open, since I suspect them of reacting with the water in the surrounding air).

I usually use powdered sugar or, if unavailable, I dissolve the sugar in the milk, together with the salt, to achieve a more even distribution.

I add the melted butter last (on the danger of overmixing the batter), since it hardens and does not mix as well if I put it into the milk/egg mix directly, which usually come straight from the fridge and has lower heat than the batter without the butter.

I use very high heat, which does not allow the pancakes to cook through; but I leave the pancakes in the oven at 120°C for a bit, on a plate. The top pancake dries out a bit, but the ones below cook through nicely and have added fluff.

White flour is better than whole-grain flour, since the latter produces overly moist pancakes that take too long to cook through. Or maybe I added too many blueberries.

Personally, I prefer blueberries the most as filling, since they have a consistency very similar to the pancake body, especially if frozen and thawed (the cell walls are already broken by the ice crystals).

/rant


On January 18, 2009 at 03:03 PM, hopensmiles (guest) said...
Subject: Delicious pancakes
Just made those blueberry pancakes and they came out delicious. Thanks!


On January 29, 2009 at 07:55 AM, neeki (guest) said...
if you're having problems with the blueberries or other fillings burning or sticking, then pour a circle of batter first, immediately put the fillings in, then cover lightly with some more batter. i've done this with bananas and cinnamon apples, and it creates a nice little pocket of flavour in the pancake. the extra bit of batter protects the fillings really nicely.


On February 25, 2009 at 04:20 PM, Majesty said...
Subject: My first Amerian pancakes
COOL! I finally, for the first time in my life, made the American pancakes that I have eaten so often in the US and Perú. With the variation of putting a tablespoon of vinegar through the milk, less sugar (which I slightly regret), whisked egg-whites and sliced apple.
When you're used, like I am, to making the normal Dutch pancakes, it's psychologically weird to this time nót whisk it well, but just let the batter be lumpy. I have to admit though that the resulting pancakes have no lumps at all. It makes about 6 pancakes with a diameter of about 14 centimeters.
Of course I'm a day to late making them: yesterday was Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day), today is Ash Wednesday.
Next time I want to make it with ginger. Does someone know if that involve real ginger lumps, or just the ginger syrup?

I do have to admit though that Dutch pancakes are slightly more practical when you want to combine sweet and savoury. There is nothing better than a Dutch pancake with cheese (Gouda of course) or bacon.


On March 13, 2009 at 12:26 PM, neeki (guest) said...
hi, another way of storing these in the freezer is to use one large sandwich bag that fits all, or half, the batch, and placing cut up pieces of baking (parchment) paper to put between them. it saves a lot of little sandwich bags, and you can just save used parchment paper from when you bake cookies to use as pancake liners.


On March 28, 2009 at 01:21 PM, jenis (guest) said...
Subject: Awesome pancakes
LOVED these pancakes. Forgot what good pancakes tasted like ;)


On July 07, 2009 at 03:06 AM, ddmcc said...
I got tired of searching for buttermilk for pancakes, but I love that tang. Even after the effort and success, the only time I used buttermilk was to make a few pancakes. The remainder would sit around until I have to dump it out.

So instead of a cup of buttermilk, I sub with 1/2 cup half & half, half cup of sour cream. I have many more uses for those two ingredients.


On August 07, 2009 at 03:14 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: using frozen blueberries
When using frozen blueberries in pancakes it is better to thaw them first, contrary to what a previous poster wrote. Depending on the concentration of blueberries in the pancake, frozen ones can sometimes result in undercooked pockets of batter in the middle, even if the pancake looks golden and done. I usually thaw mine in the microwave and then drain them well before using.


On September 17, 2009 at 07:28 AM, Anita (guest) said...
Subject: Perfection!
This is a fantastic recipe - I have been using it for years and it does truly make some of the best pancakes I have ever tasted.

Just ensure you seperate the eggs and make sure the whites are ultra glossy before adding them to the mixture bit by bit at the end.

Thumbs up! :D


On February 09, 2010 at 06:53 PM, Scott Brown (guest) said...
Subject: Organic, high protein, survival brancakes
Just for grins, I've been toying with survival recipes...stuff you can make mainly out of storable basics like dried goods hoarded for survival over the long haul. I've focused upon ingredients with high protein (legume/grain complementarity), omega-3s (chia & flax), minerals (molasses & mined sea salt), and dried fruit (raisins, cherries, apples).

I used Mr. Chu's excellent basic recipe, here, to see what I could manage assuming I was stuck with only a frying pan and a cookfire (and a farmer-neighbor's egg supply, but you could probably substitute for egg with a little more milk/water), and also assuming I was physically dependent upon the highest quality balanced nutrition obtainable from a pancake under rigorous survival circumstances. My personal survival stash obviously spares little room for sugary breakfast treats, bleached flour and other empty calories.

Raisin/cherry/apple Protein Brancakes

Premix:

Lentil flour cups....................1/3
Multigrain flour cups..............2/3
Oat bran cups.......................1/4
Chia seeds cups....................1/4
Mined sea salt tsp..................3/4
Baking powder tsp. rounded....3
Ginger tsp. rounded................1
Cinnamon tsp. rounded...........1

Have on hand as needed:

Molasses tbsp.............3
Olive oil tbsp..............3
Powdered goat milk....1 1/2 (cups liquid)
Eggs..........................2
Raisins (or etc.) cups......1/2

The quantities are mainly based on Mr. Chu's basic recipe, except the baking powder--I'm tinkering upward with that, owing to the heaviness of the other ingredients.

The lentil/grain ratio here gives a good 1:2 digestible protein mix, and a surprisingly un-beany taste. I cheated and used my electric coffee grinder to make the lentil flour, but this can also be done with a mortar and pestle. You can use the chia seeds whole, or grind them into flour (but use flour before the omega-3 oils turn rancid). The multigrain flour can be a mix of just about anything from wheat to masa (mine had quinoa and oats in it, as well). All ingredients are organic where possible.

Result? Assuredly not what my grandmother used to make, but surprisingly edible (and filling). I've read many of the comments here, and plan to see if use of some of them help make these hi-pro healthfood pancakes even better. (For you Tolkien fans, no, this stuff is not lembas, but it certainly makes for a good, sustaining trail bread.)


On February 09, 2010 at 07:09 PM, Scott Brown (guest) said...
Subject: High Protein Pancakes CORRECTION!
Where it says 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger...sorry, THAT SHOULD READ 1/2 tsp.

These are, of course, optional, but there are actually nutritional benefits to be gained from using either or both.


On February 14, 2010 at 08:38 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Pancake batter is too thin. Came out more like crepes. Very little flavor to these pancakes.


On June 06, 2010 at 10:28 AM, Jia (guest) said...
Subject: just made the recipe
OK so I just devoured TWO of these pancakes but changed the recipe a little bit:[b:f4c406ebef]
1.5 cups of skim milk
1 Tbsp. of sun crystals sugar + (2 regular)
2 egg whites 1/2 cup of unbleached flour (something organic)[/b:f4c406ebef]

And after I cooked them they felt like heaven in your mouth I was soooo surprised... thank you sooo much for the recipe...i have batter for days now :) now to go work off the lbs I just added to my life lol


On December 06, 2010 at 03:32 AM, McViking (guest) said...
Subject: Breakfast is important
When home, I would always make this and other simple nutritious breakfasts in 20 minutes or less...
Pancakes...Waffles...Crepes...Bacon, Hash-browns, Eggs...Hash & Eggs...Chorizo & Eggs...Vegetable Omelets...and Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, and Cold Cereal sometimes too...
then off to school for Regan, Kelly and Miles, then wake up Mom.


On December 31, 2010 at 08:26 PM, joni (guest) said...
Subject: pancakes and other recipes
i just found this website. i love it. i suffered head trauma a few years ago and forgot everything i knew about cooking. i used to have recipes i had tried and loved, and perfected. this explains everything properly, and has excellent recipes!! thank you :)


On February 12, 2011 at 10:12 AM, an anonymous reader said...
It would be nice if this recipe included the yielding amount. That is a VERY important part to ANY recipe, considering that one person may only be cooking for a single household or a household of two, where-as another, like myself, is cooking for a house of five, and it is very inconvenient to cook out a recipe only to find I have to make an entirely separate batch because the original recipe didn't yield enough.

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