Great Pancakes

Over the years, I’ve prepared dozens of brunches for friends and family.  The traditional fare includes pancakes, waffles (traditional and Belgian), French toast, bacon, sausage (patty and link), eggs (scrambled, fried (runny and broken), and yokeless), beans, toast, bagels, biscuits, fresh strawberries (whole and cut), and fresh whipped cream.  Not all at once, but in various combinations.  You get the idea!

Anyway, it’s been suggested that I write down some of my recipes.  So here, without further ado, is how one such item is done:

Delicious, Golden Pancakes (Makes approx 20 3-4 inch pancakes)

• White flour
• Whole wheat flour
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Milk
• Honey
• Olive oil
• Optional:  Lemon extract
• Preferably a hot, electric, non-stick griddle at 350-375 degrees 

Mix Dry Ingredients:  Sift together 2 1/2 cups of white flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour to make 3 cups of flour.  Add white flour to make up any shortage.  Dump into a large mixing bowl.  Add 4 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Whisk all of this together to ensure even mixing.  You don’t want clumps of baking powder as that can lead to bitter clumps in the final product.

In a large bowl, pour in 3 cups of milk.  Add to this mix 2 eggs and scramble the eggs into the milk.  Be sure to break the yokes and mix well.  Then add 1/4 cup of olive oil and mix.  (DO NOT ADD HONEY OR LEMON EXTRACT YET)

Gently pour this wet bowl into your flour mixture and mix together thoroughly.  The combined mix should be a little thicker than warm gravy, thinner than cold gravy.  Add a little more milk to thin or a little more whole wheat flour to thicken as needed.  Milk should be added by the tablespoon and mixed in one at a time to thin.  Flour should be added 1/4 cup at a time to thicken.  Remember, you have to be able to pour this onto a griddle or other hot cooking surface.

To this final mix, add 1/4 cup honey.  The consistency of the mix should not change much.  Also add 2 teaspoons of lemon extract.  Mix well.

I use a plastic ladle to pour onto a griddle—it allows me to control pancake size better.  Also, using an electric, non-stick griddle allows better temperature control and eliminates the need for additional oil.

Well, this is the basic recipe I’ve used for close to 20 years and it’s always been met with approval.  Oh, before I forget, hears how you know it’s time to flip the pancakes–and you only flip them once.  Bubbles begin to come through the poured batter, but wait until they begin to break as well.  You’ll get the feel for it as you go.  You may want your pancakes more or less golden so work with it and see.

Left-overs freeze well or can sit in the fridge for days and still be good.

If you try it and like the results, let me know.  If you want more recipes, go buy a cookbook!