Fluffy Pancakes

Family was in town, and at the last minute I decided to make some pancakes. Clicked on Google and this was the first recipe to come up. It's a keeper. Makes 12 pancakes.

2 cups flour

¼ cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1¾ cups milk

¼ cup butter, melted

2 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the milk, slightly cooled melted butter, vanilla, and egg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Slowly fold the wet mixture into the flour until fairly smooth. A few lumps are okay. The batter will be thick and creamy.If you find it too thick you can add a couple tablespoons of extra milk, one at a time. (I didn't do that).

Set the batter aside to rest while you heat up the griddle (non-stick griddle is best) over low-medium heat. Brush with a little butter to lightly grease the griddle. Pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the pan and gently spread into a round shape. When the underside is golden and bubbles appear on the surface, flip to cook until golden. 

Apple Pancakes

FILLING:
4 cups Jonathan apples, peeled and cored
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

SYRUP:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp grated orange rind
1/3 cup orange juice

PANCAKES:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs butter, melted
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

Combine filling ingredients in a saucepan. Cover and cook until apples are just barely tender.

Combine the syrup ingredients. Set aside.

For pancakes, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and butter. Stir in flour and salt.

Heat a lightly greased 7" skillet. Pour batter into the pan for individual pancakes. Lightly brown on both sides. Cool.

Place some apple filling on each pancake. Roll up and place seam-side down in a baking dish.

Drizzle the syrup over the pancakes. Broil 5" from the heat source for 2-5 minutes, or bake at 375º for 10 minutes.

Serve immediately with sour cream, syrup, or applesauce.

Squiggles

Pancakes for kids.

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups oil
Powdered sugar

Combine eggs and milk. Whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth.

In a heavy skillet, heat oil to 360º. Pour the batter into a funnel and release from spout in a narrow stream to form spiral shapes, circles, or alphabet letters. Try to keep the shapes limited to 4" in circumference, for easy handling.

Fry on both sides until golden. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve hot with syrup.

Apple Pancakes

Filling:

4  cups  Jonathan apples, peeled and cored

1/4  cup  sugar

1  tsp  cinnamon

In a saucepan, combine apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover and cook until apples are just barely tender. Set aside.

Pancake:

2  eggs, beaten

1  cup  milk

1/2  tsp  vanilla

3  Tbs  butter, melted

1/2  cup  flour

1/2  tsp  salt

Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and butter. Stir in flour and salt. Heat a lightly greased 7" skillet. Pour batter into pan for individual pancakes. Brown lightly on both sides. Cool.

Place some apple filling on each pancake. Roll up and place seam-side down in baking dish. Makes 8 pancakes.

Topping: 

1/2  cup  brown sugar

1  tsp  grated orange rind

1/2  cup  orange juice

Mix together and sprinkle over pancakes. Broil 5" from heat, 2 to 3 minutes, or bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, and then brown under the broiler. Serve immediately with sour cream, syrup, or applesauce. 

Maple Crepes

Everyone loves this elegant but easy make-ahead dish. I always serve it with fried apples and sausage, with a little brown sugar tossed in it. It's going to be on my Christmas brunch menu this year. Everyone loves these.


4  eggs
2  cups  milk
1/4  tsp  salt
1  cup  flour


Beat eggs well. Add remaining ingredients an continue beating until all is well incorporated. Let rest for 15 minutes.

You want your crepes to be about 6" in diameter. Use a teflon griddle* or pan to fry them, using no grease at all. Using a scant ¼ cup batter, smooth to create a circle. Fry only on one side until small bubbles appear on the surface. Remove and cool on a terrycloth bath towel.


Put a dollop of maple butter  on each crepe and roll up. Place in an oblong Pyrex baking dish, placing them very close together. Refrigerate or even freeze until ready to bake.


Warm them in a 300 degree oven until warm and bubbly. Serve with more maple butter on the side.


Maple Butter
Use only real butter and real maple syrup.
2  sticks (or more)  butter
Maple syrup to taste, about 1 cup


If you use too much syrup it won't incorporate well into the butter, but it's still very usable. I just add syrup until it's the taste I want. You want a rich maple taste.

*It's important to use a non-stick pan or griddle. They turn out a nice light golden color.

Grandma Leu's Pancakes

If Grandma's making breakfast for you, this is what you have . . . always! 

They are very thin pancakes.

3  tsp  baking powder
1  tsp  baking soda
1  tsp  salt
8  eggs
1  quart  buttermilk (no substitutes)
Flour, as needed

Using a wire whisk, combine eggs, buttermilk, salt, baking powder and soda. Start with 1 cup flour, adding more as needed, just to hold the batter together. The batter should be thin, as are the pancakes.

Grandma fries them in bacon grease, but you can use shortening.