Hotcakes, flapjacks, griddle-cakes, pancakes, or what ever you call them, I call them delicious! They can be as light and airy as crepes, or as heavy and hearty as buckwheat, and everything in between, as a grown woman, I love them all. An amazing thing to say considering that as a girl, my family ate them everyday one winter, so there was a time when I didn't care for these fluffy little disks of gold. Not to mention that I grew up on a box mix. So it may be more accurate to say that I'm not too fond of the box mix, as they create a weird burning sensation in my throat.
A few years back, I was surprised to learn that my mother-in-law uses a box mix, because her pancakes are g-rrreat! So I had to find her secret. Wait for it . . . she said that she just follows the instructions on the yellow box. That's when I realized that not all box mixes are created equal - genius I know. I grew up on the blue box stuff, so its formula is apparently what caused my throat such torment, mystery solved. Fortunately, I moved on to the "made from scratch kind" thanks to my mom who discovered a recipe from her Better Homes and Gardens bread book and made some Favorite Pancakes one fine morning.
I couldn't believe that pancakes could be so good, light as air, fluffy, yet slightly spongy, and gone was the offending burn, all the wasted years! So here is the recipe I have come to love and know by heart. As I mastered the recipe from this treasured keepsake of my moms, of course I had to mix it up a bit and make a chocolate version for my resident chocoholic, my son Kyle. And since my mom gave Kyle the chocoholic gene, of course she loved them too.
A few years back, I was surprised to learn that my mother-in-law uses a box mix, because her pancakes are g-rrreat! So I had to find her secret. Wait for it . . . she said that she just follows the instructions on the yellow box. That's when I realized that not all box mixes are created equal - genius I know. I grew up on the blue box stuff, so its formula is apparently what caused my throat such torment, mystery solved. Fortunately, I moved on to the "made from scratch kind" thanks to my mom who discovered a recipe from her Better Homes and Gardens bread book and made some Favorite Pancakes one fine morning.
I couldn't believe that pancakes could be so good, light as air, fluffy, yet slightly spongy, and gone was the offending burn, all the wasted years! So here is the recipe I have come to love and know by heart. As I mastered the recipe from this treasured keepsake of my moms, of course I had to mix it up a bit and make a chocolate version for my resident chocoholic, my son Kyle. And since my mom gave Kyle the chocoholic gene, of course she loved them too.
I re-named these, they are actually called "Favorite Pancakes" in the recipe book. Since I changed the recipe, I changed the recipe a bit by adding an extra egg for more richness and more fluff, I thought I'd rename the too. Besides, it is a throw back to how I once ate pancakes everyday, and it refers to how easy they are to make.
Recipe:
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour 1 c. milk
2 tsp. baking powder (Rumford is the best) 2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. salt 2 eggs
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder (Rumford is the best) 2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. salt 2 eggs
2 tsp. sugar
- Place dry ingredients into a 4 cup Pyrex measure cup and whisk to combine.
- Place wet ingredients into a 2 cup Pyrex measure cup (milk first) and whisk well.
- Pour wet into dry and whisk just until combined, you will have to scrape the bottom of the cup to make sure all the flour is mixed in.
- Let set a bit, if you are fortunate to have Rumford baking powder, you will notice the batter becomes nice and foamy, if the batter has become too thick, then add a little milk to make pouring the batter on to the griddle easier.
- Make sure your griddle or skillet is nice and hot, not smoking hot, but hot enough to make a few drops of water dance and sizzle. Grease sparingly, the oil in the batter helps the pancakes not stick to the pan, or use more butter/oil if you like a more crispy texture. I use cast iron, so it can be tricky to keep the heat even.
- Pour enough batter to make a 3 to 4 inch round, I can fit 3 pancakes in my pan at a time. If you prefer larger pancakes go for it. (This recipe makes about 12 - 3 inch pancakes.)
- When you see bubbles forming in the surface and the edges of the pancakes look dry, flip the pancakes, if they look to brown lower the heat, if they are not brown enough, crank up the heat, cook for about 2 min. on the flipped side.
- Remove onto a warm plate and keep going until all the batter is used up.
- Serve hot and steamy with your favorite syrup, jam, or fresh fruit and whipped cream. Enjoy! (I use the same recipe for waffles, as it keeps my life simple.)