One thing I get complimented on often is my pancakes. I think this is funny, because pancakes are SOOO easy. All you need is a few tricks of the trade.
Oh… and a little extra of a secret ingredient that isn’t so secret… vanilla.
I always like to make my batter in a measuring cup, because it makes it so easy to pour the batter onto the pan. I originally used this measuring cup to mix vinegar with milk and let it sour (it takes 5 minutes, and adds a wonderful taste to pancakes!)
And I love that the center burners pull out and a griddle pan locks in. Makes for a lot more room to cook pancakes!
I add extra vanilla to my pancakes which gives it a little extra somethin somethin. Most recipes call for about half of what I put in, but everyone seems to like them when they are extra vanilla-y.
So what is the key to pancakes that are not overcooked but not raw on the inside? Bubbles! In the below picture, you can see a pancake just start to bubble with one little hole.
You want to wait until it looks like that across most of the surface.
So when you flip them over, they are perfection. (Hint: if they are getting too brown before bubbling, turn the heat down… if they aren’t browned enough, turn it up. If you get mass bubbling and no browning, turn them over to cook on the other side, then flip them back over to brown to your liking on the original side when the pan is hotter)
Not everyone likes chocolate chips in their pancakes (I call these people “crazy people”) so I always make a plain batch and then mix in what I want (this is another great reason to use the measuring cup to pour… you can make small batches with different mix-ins).
Mmmm pancakes.
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RECIPE
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp. of vanilla
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- cooking spray
Directions
- Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to “sour”. (I do this directly in the measuring cup)
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into “soured” milk and add the vanilla. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone. (I like this recipe because it’s one bowl and one measuring cup, which I re-use to pour the batter)
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray or butter. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.
