Tonight was a breakfast-for-dinner night. We had leftover sloppy joes from Monday on the menu, but that really didn’t appeal to me, and as the day crept on, pancakes were sounding more and more like a good idea to me. As the dinner hour crept closer, I hopped onto the computer here to get my recipe for Oatmeal-Banana Pancakes, knowing that the oats needed time to soak up the milk. I started copying down the recipe when I paused, and reflected that the last time I made these, Zander really didn’t like them. I thought about going ahead with them anyway, but decided in the end to go with plain old pancakes.
Except it’s been a while since I made plain old pancakes with a recipe. For the last several years we’ve had this never-ending supply of Krusteaz pancake mix that we made pancakes with. However, a few months ago, we actually ran out of mix, and I haven’t picked anymore up. I mean really, here I am championing homemade cooking and all its goodness, and I can’t be bothered to make pancakes from scratch? It doesn’t get any easier than homemade pancakes! I went off to Allrecipes in search of a recipe for plain old pancakes.
I am forever in debt to Allrecipes, because the pancake recipe I found is nothing short of spectacular! These pancakes cooked up hugely fluffy and light and moist! Moist! They have a lovely light flavor, and while we had strawberries and syrup to top our golden cakes with, they are delicious straight out of hand! We had dinner over four hours ago and I’m still munching on these delectable golden brown pillows of pancake goodness.
You know how you go out for breakfast to a diner, and you order pancakes, and then as you eat them you almost cry about how good they are. And you wonder aloud to all your dining companions why it is that you cannot make pancakes as good as the ones you’re eating. They’re pancakes for crying out loud! Why on earth does their perfection elude us?
Those days are over- trust me when I say that when you make these pancakes, you will make everyone at your table happy. Unless of course there is a dining companion who doesn’t like pancakes…
Don’t be weirded out by the vinegar. All we’re doing with it is making our regular milk sour milk. Buttermilk could be substituted, I suspect- then use 1 3/4 cups of buttermilk instead of the milk and vinegar. The vanilla is totally optional- but it really makes these pancakes tasty on their own. Also, I have to add that for once, I listen to my inner Alton Brown who says don’t over-mix this batter! When you add the moist ingredients to the dry, a chemical reaction will take place, making the batter itself light, fluffy and full of air bubbles. Do not be tempted to stir it down and smooth it out. Give the mixture two or three stirs to combine, and then walk away. You will be rewarded for this, I promise. When you scoop the batter onto your griddle- use a light hand as well so you don’t press the air out then either. Air is your friend.
I had been excited because there were leftover pancakes tonight. I thought they might make a good breakfast for tomorrow. Except that here it is, late at night, and I’m still munching on them. Guess I’ll have to find something else for breakfast.
Easy Fluffy Pancakes
1 1/2 cups milk 4 tablespoons white vinegar 2 cups all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 4 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)Cooking spray for cooking pancakes
Directions:
Combine the milk and the vinegar. Stir, and set aside for five minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk togetherto fully incorporate.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat your eggs, and then add in the sour milk, melted butter and the vanilla if using. Whisk until fully blended.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just a few times to mix the two together. Use a light hand, and don’t stir down all the air bubbles- these are good- they’ll make the pancakes light and fluffy. Set the mixture aside for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare your griddle or cast iron pan by heating to 350ºF. Spray the surface with cooking spray. Using a gentle hand, scoop out the batter onto your griddle- using approximately 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. (Don’t be tempted to stir the batter before scooping it out- just go ahead and scoop your pancakes out- it will seem way too thick, but trust me, it works.) Cook until bubbles start to appear on the surface, and then gently flip the pancakes and cook the second side for another minute or two. Remove to a plate and keep warm until serving.
You just Can’t beat Pancakes….Anytime, LOL
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I made them and loved them. I don’t think I made pancakes since I was a kid (perhaps once or twice since then) but when I read the recipe… it was pancake time. I sometimes find pancakes too mushy/soggy, even before syrup and often without much flavor. These were great — and I ate way tooooo many. I’ll have to check what the recipe has for a serving. I halved the recipe and froze some. I’m interested in how they taste after being frozen. I’m amazed I did’t eat them all. Not sure how best to heat up. A big thanks. I posted about it on the CLBB too.
Betsy I’m so glad you made them! I had to make them again because I couldn’t stop thinking about them.
I think the original recipe I used indicated that there were four servings, but that was half of what I posted. Reviews indicated that four servings was a bit of a stretch, so I doubled the recipe- which made plenty for my family of four, plus a few extra for, uh, nibbling on later. 😉
Erika,
What do you cook your pancakes on? I used a large nonstick pan –and the sides of course got in the way a bit, when turning.
Inteesting how the recipe said to add dry to wet, but I added wet to dry ingredients (as you had in your version, and I thought more common). I wonder if that makes any differnce.
Loved them, amazed I didn’t polish them all off. Thanks
I cook my pancakes on a large electric griddle- Presto brand I think? I couldn’t make pancakes for my family otherwise- with the griddle I can roll out eight cakes at one time.