Whether your family calls them hotcakes, flapjacks, griddle cakes, Johnny cakes, or plain old pancakes, they all have a special place on the American breakfast table. A few helpful hints will ensure a fluffy, golden stack every morning.
Tips for Perfect Pancakes
1. Before you ladle on the batter, wipe the excess butter from the hot griddle using a folded paper towel. This will ensure perfectly browned pancakes.
2. Use all-purpose flour in the batter. Bread flour yields tough, chewy pancakes, while pancakes made with cake flour turn soggy when crowned with syrup. You can, however, experiment with flours that do not affect the structure of the pancakes, such as cornmeal, buckwheat flour, or whole-wheat flour. Substitute half of the all-purpose flour for any one of these.
3. Never whisk the batter until smooth; leaving lumps of unmoistened dry ingredients will result in fluffier pancakes.
4. Flip the pancakes just as the surface bubbles begin to burst. Flipping them after all the bubbles are gone produces a flatter pancake.
5. If you are adding ingredients such as blueberries or toasted nuts to the pancakes, sprinkle them over the pools of batter right after they are poured on the griddle; this will help distribute them evenly.
6. Serve with a pat of softened butter between each pancake, and have a full pitcher of warm pure maple syrup on hand for pouring with abandon.
Pancakes We Love
Buttermilk Pancakes
The addition of buttermilk gives these flapjacks a rich flavor with a pleasant acidic tang.
Silver Dollar Pear Pancakes
Small enough fit in the hand of the youngest pancake lover, these breakfast cakes have a sweet ring of maple-glazed pear in the center.
Dutch Baby Pancake
A close relative of the popover and Yorkshire pudding, the Dutch-Baby pancake rises and falls as it bakes, so the center stays soft and eggy. It’s traditionally served with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. The crater-like shape makes it perfect for filling with fresh or cooked fruit.
Pancake Add-Ins
For an extra-special breakfast, try adding any of the following ingredients to your favorite pancake batter. For best results, add nut and granola toppings to the pancakes after they have been poured onto the griddle; they will lose their crunch if they rest too long in the batter.
Sliced bananas
Sliced peaches or pears and ground cardamom
Apples and ground cinnamon
Fresh raspberries or blackberries
Poppyseeds and lemon zest
Shredded sweetened dried coconut
Dried cherries and raisins plumped in fruit juice
Chocolate chips
Chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
Homemade granola
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