Is It Possible to Make the Perfect Pancakes at Home?
Pancakes have always been one of my all-time favorite things to eat. Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, a nice stack of pancakes never fails to put a smile on my face. My mother used to think that I was crazy when I'd order pancakes for dinner out at restaurants and diners. Everyone would be having proper dinners of roast pork, a burger or some other local eats - all except me. I'd sit there with my plate of pancakes, lots of butter and maple syrup digging in and after a few bites, would find everyone at my table staring at me in disbelief.
Back at home, I'd make pancakes using a mix - the type where all you need to do is add some water and give it a good mix around. But it was never the same when I made them this way. They were OK and really all not that bad, especially considering the convenience. However, they never seemed to satisfy my cravings in the same way.
It is possible to make good pancakes at home from scratch?
After one too many mediocre pancake eaten, I scoured the internet for recipes that would help me make perfect pancakes at home. After probably going through more than a dozen pancake recipes I realized it wasn't all that easy to satisfy this man. Some turned out too dry, others were too tough and there was one that tasted too salty. Hmm...why does making pancakes have to be so difficult?
So after months of tweaking and experimenting with several recipes, I finally came up with one that I was satisfied with. I still remember the first time I took that first bite into my first-ever perfect pancake - light and fluffy with that savory yet sweet flavor of pancakes done right. These are so good that all you really need are some fresh fruits and/or a drizzle of honey. Of course you can elevate your pancake eating experience by adding some butter and maple syrup to these beauties.
I find that using buttermilk is essential to making good pancakes. If you don't have buttermilk, it's pretty easy to make your own.
Quick Buttermilk Substitute
- Mix 1 1/4 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice in 1 1/4 cups milk.
- Let stand five minutes and you're all done.
*Photo credit : Shinichi Mine
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk ( or make your own )
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- Add milk, egg and melted butter and mix until smooth.
- Lightly oil your griddle or frying pan over medium heat.
- Pour 1/4 cup batter onto griddle or frying pan.
- Cook until bubbles start to form on the surface of the pancake. 2-3 minutes.
- Flip the pancake and cook for another minute or so.
- Serve with fresh fruits if you like, butter and maple syrup.
What Do You Think?
Other Pancake-Related Recipes
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