Pancake Manifesto

1

the

PaNCAKE

Manifesto

by Kelly Ford

`

Š2013 Kel’s Kitchen Dedicated to Jordan, my eternal taste tester; and to my mom and dad for teaching home-cooking by example.

Table of

7 Getting STARTED 8 Introduction 9 Ingredients 10 Tools 11 Pancake Methods 14 More Hints

17 RECIPES 17 Muffin Method 39 Cake Method 53 Blender Method 65 Other Pancakes

C ontents 83 Sauces 95 Index

Getting Started

8

Introduction Look at the state of breakfast today. Most people reduce it to a hurried, half-hearted excuse for a meal. Calling it “the most important meal of the day” only seems like a mockery in this hectic world. We might as well refer to it as “the most skipped meal of the day.”

Yes, breakfast needs some attention. Some support…and some supporters. That’s where I come in—to revive breakfast with a whole category of delicious, versatile, and quick-cooking dishes: pancakes.

»»

the ingredients you need (page 8)

»»

the tools you need (page 9)

»» the techniques you should use (page 10).

Healthier than a donut and coffee, more filling than cold cereal, and completely customizable, pancakes are perfect for the breakfast beginner. If you are not the breakfast-cooking type, try out some pancakes for dinner and see if they don’t tempt you to get up a little earlier. If you are not the cooking-anything type, pancakes are a perfect place to start. They are simple to make and need only basic pantry ingredients.

Then try the first recipe on for size. If you find that one is a snap, or too boring, you’re ready for the other exciting recipes. Then, to send your little cakes over the top, experiment with the sauces at the back of the book. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you—you may get addicted.

You can start by learning about each of the following:

A statement about pancakes? Somebody needs to make some. And here they are.

My policy? Breakfast should be enjoyed.

My intention? To teach you how to make pancakes, and to make them awesome.

Ingredients Some notes on the ingredients required in the recipes.

Flour Unless otherwise noted, “flour” just means white all-purpose flour. I like mine unbleached, because it’s not as processed as bleached flour. Whole wheat would, of course, be the healthiest choice, but you won’t get as light of a texture. You can use a blend or include oats, flax, or wheat germ for more nutrition.

you a tastier pancake. If you have it, go with whole. 2% is good, 1% is okay. Skim milk should only be used to water the lawn.

While cow’s milk is standard in our house, I have in the past found myself in possession of other types of milk: goat, soy, etc. If you find yourself in the same situation, feel free to try other types of milk.

Eggs

Oil

The large chicken variety. Brown or white, it doesn’t matter.

Your common vegetable, or canola, kind.

Olive oil can be used for baking, and it is heart healthy, but it may add a slight flavor or color. There are other oils that you could experiment with, but use at your discretion.

Leaveners A leavener is something that introduces air into a batter or dough to make it rise or lighten. It is responsible for the texture of a baked good. This could be baking soda, baking powder, or yeast. Eggs, or at least their whites, can also act as a leavener. Your leaveners should be fresh, or else they won’t work like they should.

Milk Always from the cow, unless otherwise noted. A higher percentage of fat will give

Vanilla + Other FlavoRings Pure extracts are always better, but I am not above using imitation in a pinch.

9

10

Tools There are a few specific tools that, if used and used properly, will make your pancake-preparing experience so much more enjoyable.

Electric Griddle

Measuring Cups + Spoons

Yes, you can use a non-stick skillet. Yes, you could use a cast iron pan (Alaskans swear by them for authentic sourdough pancakes). But when you’re making more than, say, two pancakes, you want the surface area and temperature control of an electric griddle. Usually 350° F is the ideal temperature.

You don’t need anything fancy, but make sure you have a reliable set. You need separate measuring cups for dry and wet ingredients. Dry measuring cups are the ones with handles that you scoop with; wet measuring cups are the big ones that you fill to the appropriate line. I like to use the largest wet-measurer that I have so I can measure out the milk, then whisk the eggs and vanilla right in. Measuring spoons can be used with wet or dry ingredients.

Large Bowl I really like my plastic one with the rubberized base. Metal, glass, or wood works fine, too. Just give yourself room for plenty of volume. It’s not fun to realize the bowl is too small in the middle of batter-making.

Whisk A good metal whisk will mix your wet and dry ingredients and then blend the batter together without any fuss.

Spatulas A good wide pancake turner will take care of those large circles, and a flexible rubber scraper will take care of the last of the batter sticking to the mixing bowl.

Pancake Methods Most pancakes are very similar, ingredient-wise. You know—flour, eggs, milk, etc. The real difference comes in how you mix the ingredients. I noticed that, despite differences in the amounts of flour or whether you use butter or oil, most recipes fall into one of three categories, according to how the batter is made: muffin method, cake method, and blender method. I’ll explain each.

Muffin Method What do muffins have to do with pancakes?

First, muffins are a type of quick bread. A quick bread is any baked good that is leavened with baking powder or baking soda (as opposed to breads that are leavened with yeast, and take time to rise). Most pancakes are made using the muffin method.

The muffin method is a way of mixing ingredients that results in a light, moist quick bread. The muffin method requires that the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, etc.) be mixed all together separately from the wet ingredients (milk, eggs, extracts, etc.). Then, the wet ingredients are added to the dry ingredients and mixed just until everything is moist.

It is important that the batter is not mixed too much. Over-mixing may result in muffins (or in our case, pancakes) that are not as tender and fluffy. Mix the batter briskly for about ten seconds, then just let it be.

Once you make a few batches of pancakes, you’ll get used to the light hand you need to whip them up.

11

12

Cake Method Get ready to have your breakfast horizons expanded.

The cake method takes a little longer and has more steps than the muffin method, but the extra effort produces truly gourmet pancakes.

You start out with a base of sugar, butter, and eggs, then alternately add the dry ingredients (flour, salt) and the wet ingredients (milk, extracts). “Alternately” means to add some flour to the batter, stir, add milk, stir, add flour, stir, etc.

This results in a consistent “crumb” (that is, texture) that is fluffy but slightly drier and sweeter than a muffin. The baking powder is added at the end because cake batter gets a lot more stirring than muffin batter, and you don’t want to stir out the gas that the baking powder creates.

Even with all these similarities to cake, what you pour on the griddle is not exactly cake batter. Remember, cakes take a long time to bake. So in order to make them quick-cooking, and the batter pourable, more liquid is required.

Blender Method I can’t remember what first inspired me to make pancake batter in the blender. It may have been Alton Brown’s crepe recipe or the blender wheat pancakes that use whole wheat berries that you freshly grind before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Whatever the case, using your underappreciated blender to help you make breakfast is an impeccable idea. With this method, you have the advantage of using one less bowl, and you can pour the batter directly out of the carafe onto the griddle, no ladle required (if you’re careful).

Other Pancakes Now after putting most of my recipes in these nice, neat categories, I still had some that were unique enough that they deserved to be in a category by themselves. That’s why I have an “other” section. You’ll find recipes such as sourdough, crepes, and an oven-baked pancake.

13 Whatever method you use, I like to let the batter rest for several minutes so that the dry ingredients can better absorb the moisture, and the flavors can mingle. This is especially true with batters that contain oats or whole wheat. I don’t even plug the griddle in until the batter is done. That way, the batter can rest while the griddle is preheating.

Another handy technique is setting all the ingredients out before you start mixing, then putting them away one by one as you use them. This way, you know you have all the necessary ingredients, and the countertops will be clear by the time you need to pull out the electric griddle.

14

More Hints Preheating It is important to give your griddle time to come to temperature before pouring batter on it. 350° F is the standard, but thicker batter will require a lower temp and more time to cook. Thin batter can handle higher temperatures and needs less time.

Thickness Any pancake is a result of its batter: thick pancakes come from thick batter and thin from thin.

You can use more or less liquid in most recipes depending on your preference. I like my pancakes fluffy, but I don’t like waiting 5 minutes to flip them. I always try to find the right balance between thick and quick cooking.

When making batter, I want it to be about the viscosity of house paint: pourable but not watery. Some recipes have little leeway with thickness. The recipes with beaten egg whites are always going to be voluminous, and they need to be cooked over medium-low to low heat. Have patience with these.

Flipping It depends on the thickness of the batter (see above).

Signs that you should flip include the following: »»

bubbles rising to the surface

»»

popped bubbles

»»

edges becoming dull (if the edges are completely dry, you are a little late)

»»

burning smell emanating from the griddle. Don’t let it get to that point, though.

Storing You can cook up all your batter, let the pancakes cool, and store them in the fridge or freezer. Or you can put extra batter in an air-tight container in the fridge and cook fresh pancakes the next morning.

I think fresh pancakes are better, but having ready-made pancakes in the freezer that you just toss in the toaster are very convenient. It’s up to you—just don’t waste that delicious-ness!

Now that you have a little book-learning, it’s time for the next step: real-world application. Happy cooking!

15

Muffin Method

18

Basic Pancakes At their most basic, pancakes are nothing more than leavened flour, eggs, milk, and a little fat. The sugar not only adds sweetness but helps them brown. These pancakes are not the most exciting in this book...but if you are a home-made pancake neophyte, start here. The recipe calls for self-rising flour, which simplifies the preparation because it already contains leavening and salt. If you do not have self-rising flour, use unbleached all-purpose flour and add 1 1/2 t. baking powder and 1/4 t. salt.

1 C self-rising flour 1 T sugar 1 C milk 1 egg 1 T oil

Homemade Maple-Flavored Syrup, p. 84

1. Using muffin method, combine ingredients.

2. Cook on hot griddle.

Homemade Pancake Mix Love pancakes but don’t want to measure out each ingredient every morning? You don’t need to go to the store and buy a mix. This recipe provides pancakes for about 3 breakfasts. The shortening provides a fluffy texture to the pancakes and makes the batter-making even easier. However, if you don’t want transfats in your mix, you can use a non-hydrogenated shortening such as Spectrum or omit the shortening altogether and use oil when preparing the pancakes (see below). You can use half whole wheat flour, but if you do, store the mix in the freezer so the natural oils in the whole wheat don’t go rancid.

8 ½ C flour

1. Combine dry ingredients.

1 ½ C powdered milk

2. Cut shortening into the dry stuff using a pastry cutter or two knives until it is broken down into small lumps (they will vary in size but should be no bigger than a pea).

1/4 C sugar 4 T baking powder 1 T salt 1 T baking soda 2 ½ C shortening

3. Store mix in an airtight container in a cool pantry for up to 3 months.

4. To prepare pancakes, see next recipe.

Quick Pancakes See how to make the homemade mix on the previous page. If you didn’t use shortening in your mix, add 2 T. oil to the liquid ingredients.

2 1/4 C homemade pancake mix 1 egg 1 1/2 C water

1. Combine mix and sugar.

2. Add egg and water and mix well.

3. Cook on preheated griddle.

Berry Sauce, p. 86

21

22

Make-Your-Own-Pancakes This is a great standard recipe to advance to after you try your hand at the basic pancakes. It’s extra tasty with the addition of butter and vanilla, and very customizable. Try the toppings suggested, or toss in whatever tidbits you have in the pantry or fridge.

1 1/2 C flour

1. Whisk together dry ingredients.

3 T sugar

2. In a small saucepan, heat half the milk and the butter until melted.

1 T baking powder 1/2 t fine salt 1 1/4 C milk 4 T butter 2 eggs

3. Add the rest of the cold milk, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.

4. Combine wet and dry ingredients.

5. Cook on a griddle preheated to 325.

1/4 t vanilla

Variations

Chocolate Chip Pancakes Make batter as described above. After ladling batter on griddle, carefully place chocolate chips on each pancake (I say carefully because you want chocolate in your pancakes, not melting all over your griddle). Flip when bubbles appear and pop on the sur-face. Cook one minute more. You may need to rub down the griddle with a lightly oiled paper towel in between rounds of bat-ter to keep the griddle free from burnt chocolate.

Brown Butter Pancakes Make batter as described above, except melt the butter by itself in a small non-stick pot or pan. Let the butter foam and brown. Watch carefully and remove the pan from heat as soon as the butter browns. Whisk in the milk and vanilla, then combine with the dry ingredients and cook.

23

Carnivore Pancakes Start by cooking up some breakfast sausage, or bacon, or both. Let the meat drain on paper towels while you prepare the batter as described previously. Chop up the sausage and bacon finely. After ladling batter on the griddle, top each pancake with meat.

Cinnamon Swirl Prepare batter as described above. In a small bowl, whisk togeth-er 2 T. melted butter, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1 t. cinnamon and 1 T. flour. Pour into a condiment bottle or other receptacle with a spout.

After ladling batter on griddle, pour the cinnamon mix-ture over the pancakes in a spiral. Flip and cook through.

Pancake Muffin Surprise Prepare batter as above. In a skillet, cook 6 sausage links. Drain and chop each link into 4 pieces.

Pour batter into 12 well-greased muffin tins. Add 2 pieces of sausage to the center of each muffin.

Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes.

Agave Nectar

24

Jill’s Oatmeal Pancakes We lived in Arizona for a few months while I did my student teaching. We often visited my husband’s sister and her family. One memory, and recipe, that I came away with was these delicious and nutritious pancakes. The al-mond-flavored syrup served with them was a revelation.

1 C flour 1 C oats 2 T sugar

1. Whisk wet ingredients, add to dry.

Important: let batter rest in fridge while griddle preheats to 350° F.

2 t baking powder

2. Butter griddle lightly and ladle on batter.

1 t baking soda

3. Cook until golden.

1 t salt 1 1/2 C buttermilk or sour milk 2 t vanilla 1/4 C oil 2 eggs

Almondy Syrup, p. 84

27

Multigrain Pancakes These hotcakes are not only tasty, but full of whole-grain goodness. You’ll notice that instead of canola, the recipe calls for olive oil. Trust me, you won’t taste olives, but your heart will thank you.

The best thing about healthy pan-cakes is that you can ladle on the syrup without (much) guilt.

1 C whole wheat flour 1/3 C quick-cooking oats 1/3 C yellow c`ornmeal 1/3 C all-purpose flour

1. Mix first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl.

2. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, oil and honey in large bowl.

2 T flaxseed meal

3. Add dry ingredients, mix just until blended.

2 t baking powder

4. Cook on medium-hot griddle.

1/4 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 2 C buttermilk 2 eggs 2 T olive oil 2 T honey

real maple syrup and toasted pecans

28

Nectarine Pancakes I developed this recipe at the end of summer when ripe peaches and nectarines were abundant. I especially like nectarines for pancakes because they have a subtly sweet taste and you don’t have to peel them before adding them to the batter.

1 C flour 1 C oats

1. Using muffin method, combine ingredients (nectarines count as “wet�).

2 T sugar

2. Cook on hot griddle.

1 t baking powder 1 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 1 1/2 C milk + 1 t lemon juice 1/4 C vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 nectarine, pitted and finely chopped

dusting of powdered sugar

31

Graham Pancakes The whole-grain goodness of graham crackers in every bite. Ironically, the whole-grain goodness of grahams often contains nasty ol’ high fructose corn syrup—check the ingredients on the brand you choose. For a pseudo-campfire treat, try the s’mores version below.

3/4 C flour 1 1/4 C graham crackers, crushed

1. Using muffin method, combine ingredients.

2. Cook on griddle.

3/4 t salt 1 t baking powder 1 t baking soda 1 T sugar 1/3 C powdered milk 1 C water 2 eggs 1/4 C oil squirt of lemon juice

Variation

S’more Pancakes Make the graham pancake batter, ladle onto a griddle and immediately add chocolate chips. Flip and cook through. Serve with whipped cream or jarred marshmallow crème (which of course will cancel out the aforementioned whole-grain goodness of graham crackers, but oh well).

buttermilk syrup, p.87; vanilla sauce, p. 86

32

Chocolate Lovers' Pancakes with CrEme Americain Does the name of these pancakes mean “pancakes for people who love choco-late”? Or, “chocolate-flavored pancakes for people in love”? I will let you de-cide. All I can say is, these would be awesome for breakfast in bed on Valen-tine’s Day, an anniversary, or a Tuesday. See the back of the book for the Crème Americain recipe—don’t worry, it’s ridiculously easy.

1/4 C butter 1/2 C hot cocoa mix

1. Melt butter and stir in hot cocoa mix and cocoa powder.

2 T cocoa powder

2. Whisk in egg and milk.

1 egg

3. Add dry ingredients.

1 C milk

4. Cook on griddle preheated to medium.

1 1/2 C flour 1/4 t salt 1 1/2 t baking powder chocolate chips

Crème Americain, p. 89

5. Add chocolate chips while pancakes are cooking.

Orange Gingerbread Pancakes This breakfast treat is perfect for a winter’s day after making a snowman in the front yard. If no winter day is available, substitute an autumn day. If no snowman is available, substitute a pile of leaves.

1 1/2 C flour 1/4 C brown sugar

1. Using muffin method, combine ingredients.

1 t baking powder

2. Cook on hot griddle.

1 t cinnamon 1/2 t ground ginger 1/4 t baking soda 1/4 t salt dash of ground cloves 1 egg 1 C milk 1/2 C orange juice 3 T oil 1/2 t orange zest

orange sauce, p.

85; lemon sauce, p. 85

35

36

Carrot Cakes-in-a-Pan Do you ever wish you could eat carrot cake for breakfast? Oh, you already do? Well, try these pancakes and you can have your cake and eat it, too, without taking it to the closet to devour in secret.

1 1/4 C flour

1. Whisk first five ingredients together.

1/4 C brown sugar

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients.

2 t baking powder 1 t cinnamon

3. Combine wet and dry ingredients lightly, then stir in nuts and carrot.

1/4 t salt

4. Cook on griddle over medium heat.

3/4 C buttermilk 2 eggs 1 T oil 1 1/2 t vanilla 1/4 C nuts 2 C grated carrot

creamy maple sauce, p. 87

Cake Method

40

Diner-Style Pancakes These beauties have the texture that many people love in pancakes, but think they must go to their local diner to get. Now, you can make these right in your own home. These are truly panCAKES, because they use the cake method of mixing ingredients (see introduction). Inspired by Giant Sunday Pancakes from The Bon Appetit Cookbook, ed. Barbara Fairchild.

3 large eggs 1/3 C sugar

1. Whisk eggs, sugar, and melted butter in medium bowl to blend.

1 1/2 C flour

2. Add flour alternately with milk in 3 additions, whisking to blend after each addition.

1 C milk

3. Whisk in baking powder and salt.

1 T baking powder

4. Cook on hot griddle.

6 T butter, melted

1/4 t salt

berry sauce, p.

86; real maple syrup

Ode to Georgia Pancakes with Creamy Maple Glaze Living in the South means you get to cook with fresh peaches. And this is the perfect recipe for that.

Not to brag or anything, but this is an award-winning recipe. However, I couldn’t publish the exact recipe that won the contest—you know, copyright issues and all—so I changed a few things and, guess what? They turned out better than the award-winning version. So, even if you don’t live in the South, be prepared to love these and make them again. Real soon.

1/3 C sugar 1/3 C butter 1 C chopped peaches (2 medium peaches, or use frozen) 3 eggs 1 1/2 C flour 1 t cinnamon ¼ t salt 1 C milk 1 t lemon juice 1 T baking powder

1. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and peaches. When the butter has slightly cooled, stir in the eggs.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flours and salt. In a large measuring cup, combine milk and lemon juice.

3. Whisk the butter mixture alternately with the milk into the dry ingredients, stirring well after each addition.

4. Lastly, stir in the baking powder.

The batter should be pourable but voluminous.

5. Preheat an electric griddle to 325.

Ladle batter onto the griddle by ¼ cupfuls and cook until bubbles start to appear and pop on the surface of the pancakes.

6. Flip the pancakes and cook for about a minute more. creamy maple sauce, p. 87

43

44

Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes I think banana bread and other similar banana baked goods are much better with the addition of peanut butter. It’s kind of like bananas are the wild party animals of the fruit world, with a strong, distinct flavor. If the banana goes to a party, it might take over the whole room with its personality.

But if you send banana to the party with its mild, slightly nutty friend, things are more balanced and yet more tasty.

1/3 C creamy peanut butter 1 medium ripe banana, mashed 1 T brown sugar 1 egg 1 T oil 1 C all-purpose flour 2 t baking powder 1/2 t salt 1/4 t cinnamon 1 C milk 1 t vanilla

agave nectar

1. Cream peanut butter, banana, sugar, egg, and oil.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl.

3. In a third bowl, combine milk and vanilla. In 3 additions, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the peanut butter mixture.

4. Cook on hot griddle.

47

Mini Cheesecakes If New York cheesecake is your choice for dessert, try these pancakes for breakfast. The batter is thick and rich, so it is best to keep them small. They go with just about any topping, but if you take the time to make a fruity sauce and toast some graham crackers, you’ll feel like you’re sitting by the dessert case at your favorite Italian restaurant.

6 oz cream cheese, softened 1/3 C sugar

1. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.

2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks

2. Beat in eggs and yolks one at a time.

1 C flour

3. Onto a plate or piece of wax paper, sift flour, cornstarch and salt together.

2 T cornstarch 1/4 t salt 1 C milk 2 t vanilla 1 T baking powder

4. In a large measuring cup, combine milk and vanilla.

5. Alternately add the flour and milk to the cream cheese in two additions.

6. Finally, add baking powder and stir well.

7. Use a tablespoon to ladle batter onto a griddle preheated to 300.

toasted graham cracker crumbs; cherry lime sauce, p. 92

48

Sweet Potato Pancakes Get ready to sing your praises to vegetables. The sweet potato or yam puree in these makes for a dense yet silky pancake with amazing flavor. They taste just as good, if not better, the next day straight from the fridge. If you don’t have coconut milk, go ahead and use cow’s milk, but promise yourself to make them another time with coconut milk. You won’t regret it.

1 C sweet potato or yam puree

1. Put puree in a medium bowl.

6 T butter, melted

2. Pour butter over top and blend with an electric mixer.

1/3 C brown sugar

3. Add brown sugar and mix well.

3 large eggs

4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well.

1 1/2 C flour

5. In a bowl or on a piece of wax paper, mix flour, cinnamon and salt.

1 t cinnamon 1 C coconut milk

6. Alternately add the flour and milk to the sweet potato mixture in three additions.

1 T baking powder

7. Lastly, stir in the baking powder.

1/4 t salt

8. Batter will be thick but pourable.

9. Cook on a griddle preheated to 325.

brown sugarcinnamon butter, p. 90

51

Red Velvet Pancakes I don’t know why I like red velvet cake so much—there is no secret ingredient besides a bottle of red food coloring and maybe a little cocoa. It must be that the bright scarlet hue tricks your taste buds into thinking there is something more extraordinary about them. As much as I like red velvet cake, I can’t bring myself to dump a whole bottle of artificial dye into the batter, so I did a little research and found a natural, not to mention healthy, way to impart the desired color. Hence the pureed beets. Which I wouldn’t normally add to pan-cakes...no, really.

Beet Puree 15-oz can sliced beets 1 T + 3 T apple juice or water

1. Drain the juice from can and dump the beets into a blender with about 1 tablespoon of apple juice to get things flowing.

2. Turn on blender and add water or juice, a tablespoon at a time, until a smooth puree forms.

Red Velvet Pancakes 3/4 C beet puree 6 T butter 1/3 C sugar 3 eggs 1 1/2 C flour 1 T cocoa 1 C milk or buttermilk 1 T vanilla 1 T baking powder chocolate chips, if desired

1. Pour beet puree into a medium bowl. In a glass dish, melt butter and add to puree. Whisk in sugar.

2. When batter is warm but not hot, whisk in eggs one at a time.

3. Separately, combine flour and cocoa. In a large measuring cup, combine milk and vanilla.

4. Alternately add flour and milk to the batter, whisking after each addition Lastly, add baking powder.

5. Ladle onto a medium-hot griddle and add chocolate chips. creamy maple sauce, p. 87

Blender Method

54

Blender Oat Pancakes This is the same recipe as the oatmeal pancakes in the “muffin method� section. But making these in a blender is ultra-easy and gives them a finer, but still hearty, texture..

1 C flour 1 C oats 2 T sugar 2 t baking powder

1. Assemble all ingredients from above recipe.

2. Put all dry ingredients in blender; pulse 2-3 times.

1 t salt

3. Add whisked wet ingredients; pulse 2-3 times, scrape down sides and pulse 2-3 times more.

1 1/2 C buttermilk or sour milk

4. Important: let batter rest in fridge while griddle preheats to 350 F.

2 t vanilla

5. Pour batter directly from blender onto griddle. So simple!

1 t baking soda

1/4 C oil 2 eggs

almondy syrup, p. 84

56

Blueberry Almond Pancakes This is another recipe based on the ever-popular oatmeal pancakes, but this time, you will grind almonds into a flour instead of oats. The result is a new kind of pancake with a satisfyingly subtle crunch and nuttiness. The blueberries are a perfect complement to the almonds.

1 C almonds 1 C flour 2 T sugar 2 t baking powder 1 t baking soda 1 t salt 1 1/2 C milk 1 t almond extract 1/4 C oil 2 eggs frozen blueberries

1. In a blender, grind the almonds to a powder.

2. Add rest of dry ingredients. Pulse several times.

3. Add pre-whisked wet ingredients; pulse several times, scrape down sides, and pulse again.

4. Let rest in fridge while griddle preheats to 350.

5. Meanwhile, put frozen blueberries in a colander and thaw gently with cool running water.

6. Drain berries and remove to a paper-towel lined plate.

7. Ladle batter onto hot griddle.

8. Immediately place blueberries on each pancake.

9. Flip and cook through.

maple syrup; cream cheese; applesauce

Ricotta Cloud Pancakes When you bite into these beauties, you’ll swear you were eating a cloud that has descended from heaven and landed on your plate. The secret ingredient, you ask? Actually, it’s a secret appliance: the blender. Any kind of topping will do, but homemade strawberry freezer jam complements them perfectly.

3/4 C flour 2 T sugar 1 T baking powder 1/4 t salt 1 C ricotta cheese (choose a good quality whole milk or part skim cheese, such as Sorrento) 2 eggs

1. Whisk dry ingredients together.

2. In a blender, whip eggs for about 30 seconds. Add ricotta.

3. While blending on low, drizzle in milk and mix until creamy and smooth.

4. Add mixture to dry ingredients.

5. Add lemon zest and juice and whisk together.

3/4 C milk

6. Pre-heat griddle to medium heat (about 325°F).

zest and juice of half a lemon

7. Ladle on ¼ cupfuls of batter.

8. Cook until bubbles appear, flip, and cook until golden.

strawberry jam; honey

59

60

Walnut Maple Pancakes Delightful crunch. Subtle maple flavor. Warm from the griddle...and gluten free. What more can you ask for?

4 oz walnut halves (about 1 cup) 1 C gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill) 1/3 C oats 1 T baking powder 1 t salt 1/4 t xanthan gum 1 1/2 C milk 1 1/2 T orange juice 1/4 C oil 1/2 t maple flavoring 2 eggs

a touch of maple syrup

1. In a blender, crush the walnuts until they are coarsely ground. Remove to a large bowl.

2. Add flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients.

4. Add wet to dry and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

5. Let rest while the griddle preheats to 350.

6. Cook on griddle until golden brown.

Tropical Pancakes with SautEed Pineapple These are the most original pancakes in the book, if for none other reason than I made them up myself, from my own brain, from scratch. I started with my love of coconut, and then added complementary flavors. They are made in a blender, so you get interesting flavor with just a bit of texture from the coconut. Make sure your coconut is fresh! I made these with stale coconut once and they were...well, less than tasty.

1 1/2 C flour 1/2 C flaked sweetened coconut, packed 1 T sugar 1 t baking soda 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t salt 1/2 t ground ginger 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz) 1/2 C pineapple tidbits

1. In a blender, dump first 7 ingredients. Pulse in blender until combined but still chunky.

2. In a large measuring cup, combine coconut milk, pineapple, oil, lime juice and egg white, then add to blender.

3. Pulse 2 times, scrape the sides, then pulse 2 times more.

4. Let batter rest, then cook on hot griddle. If you serve these with the sautĂŠed pineapples found in the sauces section, they will be out of this world!

1/3 C oil (you could try peanut oil here) juice of 1 lime (ab. 1/4 C) 1 egg white

sauteed pineapple, p. 92; toasted coconut

63

Other Pancakes

66

Famous Ford Pancakes for a Crowd Though my husband and I grew up in different families in different places, we had a common experience growing up: the sound of the wheat grinder arous-ing us from sleep and calling us downstairs to have breakfast. These pancakes were a weekend staple in Jordan’s home. Sometimes his dad would whip up a triple batch of batter on Friday, and they would have pancakes all weekend long. Here I have included the double-batch version for your next breakfast bash.

2 1/2 C whole wheat flour, preferably freshly ground 2 1/2 C unbleached white flour 3 T + 1 t baking powder 1 t salt 2 T sugar 4 beaten eggs 4 1/2 C milk 1/2 C oil

applesauce and whipped topping; peanut butter

1. Sift dry ingredients together.

2. Combine milk, eggs, and oil and add to dry ingredients. Mix until moistened. You might want to adjust the flour to make it the consistency you like.

3. Cook on griddle until golden.

68

Pumpkin Pancakes The moment September 30 rolls over to October 1, something happens. It’s something in the air, and also something in your attitude. As the air gets cooler and the trees exude new color, you all of a sudden crave...pumpkin. Pumpkins on your front stoop, pumpkins in your pie, and now, pumpkins in your pancakes. It doesn’t hurt that using this yummy ingredient is also a way to get more veggies in your diet.

1 C flour 1/4 C sugar 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t cinnamon

1. Sift all dry ingredients together.

2. Combine puree, egg yolks, half-andhalf, and butter. Add to the flour mixture.

1/4 t salt

3. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into batter.

dash of cloves

4. Cook on medium griddle.

dash of ginger dash of nutmeg 1 C pumpkin puree 3 eggs, separated 1 C half-and-half 1/4 C melted butter

pumpkin cream, p. 88

Apple Sourdough Pancakes These pancakes have a delightful tangy taste just perfect for a winter morning. But it doesn’t have to be snowing for you to enjoy them. Just remember you have to start them the night before.

Sourdough Starter 1 C whole milk 1 t active dry yeast 1/2 C apple cider or juice 3 T light brown sugar, packed 2 T butter, melted 1 C flour

1. The night before, make the starter: warm the milk to about 110° F. 2. Transfer to medium bowl, sprinkle with the yeast and let foam.

3. Whisk in cider, sugar, butter, and flour until smooth. Cover and let stand overnight.

Pancakes 1/2 C flour 1 large egg 1 t baking soda 1 small tart apple, diced

1. In the morning, whisk in flour, egg, and baking soda. Ladle on buttered griddle.

2. Alternately, preheat a large cast iron pan slowly to medium. Butter pan generously and ladle on batter, being careful not to crowd the pan.

real maple syrup; toasted pecans

71

72

Rice Pudding Pancakes Leftover rice? Check. Milk and eggs? Check. Pudding-y deliciousness? Check and check.

1 C + 1/2 C milk 1 C cooked brown rice (from last night’s dinner) 2 eggs 1/4 C pure maple syrup 1 t vanilla 3/4 C flour 1 t baking powder 1/2 t salt

Variation

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup milk, rice, eggs, syrup, and vanilla.

2. Heat on low until thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

4. Pour rice pudding over dry stuff, then add the remaining 1/2 C milk and whisk together.

5. Cook on a griddle preheated to medium-low.

add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to batter, or add raisins to pancakes while on griddle.

cinnamon-butter sauce, p. 90

75

Coconut Delights I could call them “Gluten-Free Pancakes” but that doesn’t sound as tempting as “Coconut Delights”.

And I don’t want to scare those without a gluten in-tolerance off. Give ‘em a try—you won’t miss the wheat. The batter will be much thicker than usual, but do not thin the batter! They will cook through and be light and fluffy, I promise.

2/3 C rice flour 2/3 C coconut flour

1. Combine dry ingredients. and wet ingredients using muffin method.

2 T potato starch 1 T baking powder 1/4 C sugar 1/2 t cinnamon 1/4 t salt 1/4 C oil 2 eggs 2 C buttermilk

whipped cream and toasted flaked coconut

76

Angel Food Pancakes with Quick Custard Yes, angel food cake is delicious, but what do you do with the dozen egg yolks you have left afterwards? I have solved that problem by developing a ridicu-lously simple custard topping. These pancakes are quite sweet and don’t make a very substantial breakfast, so I recommend serving them for dessert.

5 egg whites pinch of cream of tartar or baking soda

1.

Find a clean glass or metal bowl.

2.

Add egg whites to bowl and beat with an

electric mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar

1/8 t salt

and salt. Beat until soft peaks form.

1/4 C granulated sugar

3.

1/2 C sifted flour 2 T powdered sugar

Next, beat in the granulated sugar in one

T at a time until egg whites are glossy.

4. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and powdered sugar together. In a large measuring cup,

1/4 C milk

combine milk and vanilla.

1/2 t vanilla

5. Alternately add the flour and milk to the egg whites by sifting the flour over the top, then gently folding in the milk.

6. Preheat griddle to 300. Grease griddle with a thin, even layer of butter.

7. Ladle a small amount of batter on the griddle, then swirl it into a larger circle with the back of the ladle. Let cook for a minute, then gently scrape up the pancakes and flip.

8. Cook for another minute or so, then flip again and cook for 30 more seconds. The edges

quick custard, p. 89; sliced strawberries

will be gooey like merengue—if you don’t like them like that, place pancakes on a plate in a warm oven until set.

79

Puffy Pancake Okay, so this technically isn’t really a pancake. It’s more like a popover, but whatever it is, it’s one of my family’s favorite breakfast recipes. It is easily adjustable for however many people you are going to serve. My husband and I can eat two servings, so I usually multiply everything by four.

For each serving, you need: 1 egg

1/4 C flour 1/4 C milk 1/8 t salt 1 T cold butter

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Put butter in 9x13 glass dish and put in oven.

3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, flour, milk, and salt thoroughly until smooth and thick.

4. Pour into hot dish.

5. Bake 15-20 minutes.

raspberry jam; warm apple sauce; syrup; lemon juice and powdered sugar

80

Blender Crepes with Dreamy Cream According to my French-speaking sister-in-law, the word is pronounces “crehhhp”, not “kraype”.

They are the fancy French version of pancakes. The original inspiration for this recipe comes from one of my culinary heroes, Al-ton Brown. Using the blender eliminates most of the lumps that can plague a good crepe batter. Make a bunch for breakfast and save the leftovers for des-sert.

2 eggs 3/4 C milk 1/2 C water 1 C flour 3 T melted butter, plus more for pan dash of salt

1. In a blender, combine all ingredients in order and blend for 10 se-conds.

2. Place the batter in the fridge and rest for 1 hour.

3. Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium/medium-high heat.

4. Brush pan with melted butter.

5. Pour about 1 ounce of batter in the center of the pan and shake/swirl the pan to coat it evenly.

6. Cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook another 10 seconds.

7. Remove to a cutting board or plate covered with a paper towel. Feeds two hungry people.

Dreamy Cream, p. 89; raspberry jam; chocolate chips; caramel dip; ham and cheese

Sauces

84

Homemade MapleFlavored Syrup 1/4 C water 1/4 C white sugar 1/4 C brown sugar 1 C corn syrup

1. Boil ingredients in a saucepan for 2 minutes. Do not stir.

2. Cool syrup, then pour into a glass jar to store.

1/2 t maple flavoring

Almondy Syrup 1/4 C water 1/4 C white sugar 1/4 C brown sugar 1 C corn syrup 1/2 t maple flavoring 1/2 - 1 t almond extract

1. Boil ingredients in a saucepan for 2 minutes. Do not stir.

2. Take the syrup off heat, and stir in 1/2 t. to 1 t. almond extract, according to taste.

3. Cool syrup, then pour into a glass jar to store.

85

Lemon Sauce 1/2 C sugar 1 T cornstarch 1 C hot water 2 T butter 2 T lemon juice lemon zest to taste (optional)

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in water.

2. Stir over medium heat until thick.

3. Turn off heat, then add butter, lemon juice, and zest. Stir until butter melts.

4. Keep warm while serving.

Orange Sauce 1/4 C sugar 2 t cornstarch 3/4 hot water 1/2 C orange juice

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan.

2. Add water and stir over medium heat until thickened.

86

Vanilla Sauce 1 C sugar

1. Mix sugar and corn starch in pan.

2 T corn starch

2. Gradually stir in water.

2 C boiling water

3. Boil for 1 min., stirring constantly.

4 T butter

4. Turn off heat and add butter and vanilla.

2 t vanilla

Berry Sauce 3 C fresh or frozen berries, such as blueberries or raspberries 1/2 C water 1-1 1/2 T cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 C water 1/4—1/2 C sugar

1. Place berries in a medium saucepan with the water. Heat to boiling.

2. Lower the heat to simmer and cook about 5 minutes, until berries are soft and exuding their juice.

3. Add the sugar and cook a little longer.

pinch salt

4. Add the salt and lemon juice.

squirt of lemon juice

5. Stir in the cornstarch dissolved in water and cook over medium heat until thickened.

87

Buttermilk Syrup 1/2 C butter

1. Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil.

1 C sugar

2. Take off heat and add baking soda.

1 C buttermilk OR 1 can evaporated milk 1 T corn syrup 1 t vanilla 1/2 t. baking soda

Creamy Maple Sauce 2 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1. Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.

2 T butter (room temperature)

2. Slowly add syrup until a pourable sauce forms.

1/4 C pure maple syrup

88

Pumpkin Cream 1 C heavy cream

1. Whip cream until stiff peaks form.

1/2 C pumpkin puree

2. Fold in pumpkin.

granulated sugar

3. Add sugar to taste.

Dreamy Cream 1 C whipped topping 2-4 T frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1. Stir concentrate into whipped topping.

2. Keep cold.

89

CrEme Americain a couple scoops of good-quality, natural vanilla bean ice cream

1. melt in the microwave for about a minute

Quick Custard 1/2 C Greek yogurt 1/4 C sugar 1/2 C cream 4 egg yolks 1/2 t vanilla pinch of salt

1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, gently heat the yogurt, sugar and cream.

2. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time.

3. Heat through until slightly thickened.

4. Take off heat and add vanilla and salt.

5. Custard will thicken as it cools.

90

Cinnamon-Butter Sauce 1/3 C butter 2/3 C sugar 1/3 C half-and-half

1. In a one-quart saucepan, mix ingredients over medium heat, stirring frequently until butter is melted.

1/2 t cinnamon

Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Butter 1/4 C butter, softened 1 T brown sugar 1/2 t cinnamon

1. In a medium bowl, beat all ingredients together thoroughly.

2. Scrape butter onto a sheet of waxed paper, and roll into a cylinder.

3. Twist ends of paper like a candy wrapper.

4. Store in refrigerator until firm.

91

Brown Butter Glaze a la Microwave 4 T salted butter 1 C powdered sugar 1-2 T milk

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, place the butter. Cover with a lid or paper plate.

Put in microwave, and cook on high for 2 minutes. Stay close to the microwave.

2. After 2 minutes, check the butter (careful—use an oven mitt). The butter should be foaming.

3. Cook on high for another 1 minute, 45 seconds. Be vigilant—you don’t want the butter to burn!

4. Check again. If the butter is just starting to turn brown, it’s done. If it’s still pale yellow, continue to cook for 15-second increments until the butter is taking on color.

5. Then, close the microwave door and let it sit for about a minute. The milk solids in the butter will continue to brown.

6. When the butter is golden brown and smells nutty, remove the bowl from the microwave. Again, be careful, it’s hot!

7. Add 1 T. milk, then sift the powdered sugar into the bowl and whisk together.

8. If it is too thick to scoop and drizzle, add a scant tablespoon of milk.

Whisk and enjoy!

92

SautEed Pineapple leftover pineapple tidbits some butter orange juice

1. Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat.

2. Add pineapple and sautĂŠ until slightly softened.

3. Add a little orange juice just to moisten it.

Cherry Lime Sauce 1/2 C water, divided 1 t cornstarch 1 T butter 2 C halved cherries 1 T brown sugar 1 T lime juice

1. Whisk together 1/4 c. water and cornstarch.

2. In a pan over medium heat, melt the butter.

3. Add the cherries, sugar, and rest of water.

4. Cook until the cherries start to get soft.

5. Increase heat to medium high and add the water/cornstarch mixture.

6. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and add lemon juice.

93

Peach-Strawberry Spread some leftover peach slices a spoonful of good-quality strawberry jam

1. Mash the peaches and jam together for an easy and yummy topping.

Sweet Sour Cream 1/2 C good quality sour cream (such as Breakstone’s)

1. In a small bowl, combine ingredients thoroughly.

2 T agave nectar or pure maple syrup

2. Store in fridge.

Index

96

PANCAKES Angel Food, 76 Apple Sourdough, 71 Basic, 8 Blender Crepes, 80 Blender Oat, 54 Blueberry Almond, 56 Brown Butter, 22 Carnivore, 23 Carrot Cakes-in-a-Pan, 36 Chocolate Chip, 22 Chocolate Lovers’, 32 Cinnamon Swirl, 23 Coconut Delights, 75 Diner-Style, 40 Famous Ford, 66 Graham, 31 Homemade Pancake Mix, 21 Jill’s Oatmeal, 24 Make-Your-Own, 22 Mini Cheesecakes, 47 Multigrain, 27 Nectarine, 28

97 Ode to Georgia, 43 Orange Gingerbread, 35 Pancake Muffin Surprise, 23 Peanut Butter Banana, 44 Puffy, 79 Pumpkin, 68 Quick, 21 Red Velvet, 51 Rice Pudding, 72 Ricotta Cloud, 59 S’more, 31 Sweet Potato, 48 Tropical, 63 Walnut, 60

SAUCES Almondy Syrup, 84 Berry Sauce, 86 Brown Butter Glaze a la Microwave, 91 Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Butter, 90 Buttermilk Syrup, 87 Cinnamon-Butter Sauce, 90 Creamy Maple Sauce, 87

98 Crème Americain, 99 Dreamy Cream, 88 Homemade Maple-Flavored Syrup, 84 Lemon Sauce, 85 Orange Sauce, 85 Peach-Strawberry Spread, 93 Pumpkin Cream, 88 Quick Custard, 89 Sweet Sour Cream, 93 Sauteed Pineapple, 92 Vanilla Sauce, 86

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

`

Kelly Ford was born in New York, raised in Washington, and currently resides in Georgia. Given that she did her student teaching in Arizona, she has lived in all four corners of the US of A. Kelly is a wife, mother, and a person who loves food. She admits to a preoccupation with cooking and an unusual obsession with pancakes.

Notes ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Keep your tastebuds thinking about pancakes

Harold, you could just eat nothing

but pancakes if you wanted.”

“What’s wrong with you? I don’t want to eat nothing but pancakes, I want to live! I mean, who in their right mind, in a choice between living and pancakes, chooses pancakes?”

“Harold, if you pause to think, I believe you’d realize that that answer is inextricably contingent upon the type of life being led...and of course, the quality of the pancakes.”

— Dustin Hoffman and Will Ferrell in “Stranger than Fiction”