COLUMN: Pancakes for breakfast, lunch and even for dinner
I never liked pancakes when I was younger. Now I can’t get enough of them. Pancakes for breakfast. Pancakes for dinner. Pancakes anytime I want something warm, fast and satisfying. Why the change? I’ve been wondering the same thing.
I think I just hadn’t discovered the whole world of pancakes waiting for me outside of the classic buttermilk-with-maple-syrup IHOP special. Don’t get me wrong, I like those too, but now that I know about oatmeal pancakes and cornmeal pancakes and even pancakes with ricotta cheese in them, there’s no going back.
And don’t even get me started on all the glorious sugary and buttery things you can top them with. Or if you’re trying to be healthy, all the fresh fruity and nutty and peanut buttery things you can top them with. Either way, you should think about rediscovering pancakes. I’m glad I did. It’s definitely gotten me out of a few “what should we have for dinner?” conversations.
Here are my five tips for perfect pancakes:
1. When you’re making the batter, do not over-mix it! Lumps are your friend. Over-mixed dough will result in chewy, dense pancakes with no springiness or fluff. Stir with a whisk or wooden spoon just until the ingredients form a batter. No more.
2. If you want really fluffy pancakes, here’s a trick: Separate your eggs. Add the yolks to the batter when it says to add the eggs, but put the whites in another bowl. Beat them until they become fluffy and peaks start to form, then gently fold them into the batter at the very end.
3. When you’re ready to cook them, heat the skillet to medium. No higher than that. The trick to cooking your pancakes just right is patience. Letting them cook longer on a lower heat makes it more likely that the middle will get done before the outsides get burnt. It’s worth the wait. Trust me.
4. Use melted butter to coat the skillet before you add the batter. Not oil. Not shortening. Not spray grease. If you use real butter your pancakes will be slightly crispy with a buttery flavor. If you use oil and grease they will taste fried like funnel cakes.
5. Before you start cooking your pancakes, heat your oven to about 175 degrees. As the pancakes finish cooking, put them on a baking sheet and keep them in the warm oven. That way you can sit down to a pile of hot pancakes after you’re finished flipping them, rather than trying to eat as you cook or eating them cold when you are done. Not fun.
Classic Buttermilk Pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten (or see step 2 for the fluffy method)
3 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Heat the griddle or skillet to medium heat.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, buttermilk and melted butter and whisk just until combined.
Brush the skillet with a little bit of butter. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the griddle in round pools. Cook until bubbles start to form on top and the edges are becoming dry, then flip and cook the other side until golden.
Repeat with remaining batter, storing the cooked pancakes in the oven to keep warm.
Once you’ve achieved the perfect pancake, the possibilities are endless for topping it. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
Nutty Honey Butter – toast some of your favorite nuts and grind them in the food processor. Beat 4 tablespoons soft butter, 1 tablespoon of honey and the ground nuts until smooth.
Orange Vanilla Butter Sauce – combine 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon orange zest and 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan and cook until melted and combined. Whisk in 1 teaspoon cornstarch and boil until slightly thickened, about five minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.
Freshly sliced bananas and strawberries – dusted with powdered sugar.
Apples or pears – brushed with a little butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, baked on a tinfoil lined baking sheet at 400 degrees just until they get warm and soft, about 10 minutes.
– Jennelle Clark is a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in art. She loves cooking food, taking pictures of food and eating food. E-mail her at jenn.nelle@gmail.com with questions or comments.