Many think that pancakes served hot with syrup and other mouth-watering toppings are a modern dish, but in reality they have been around for thousands of years and have always been a popular food for consuming cereals. Pancakes are thin, round pancakes, made with a flour-based dough and are often cooked on the stove in a previously greased pan. There are several ways to make them and it is possible to use various ingredients both to make the dough and to garnish them. Pancakes that are sold in cafes or restaurants are usually sweet and are served stacked, accompanied with fruit or syrup. However, they can also be stuffed or rolled. You can also eat them with all kinds of toppings. Finding out which are your favorites will be a fun and delicious experience!
Ingrediants
Simple Pancakes
- 130 g of flour
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 250 ml of vegetable or cow's milk
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Making the Pancakes
Step 1. Heat the oil in a pan
Pour 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into a clean pan and heat it over medium heat. The most used vegetable oils for cooking are soy, coconut and canola. Avoid olive oil, peanuts or sesame seeds instead, as they have a rather intense taste.
Oil is optional for cooking pancakes, especially if you're using a non-stick pan
Step 2. Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 3. Incorporate the liquid ingredients
Pour the milk and oil over the dry ingredients. Beat the mixture until all the ingredients are well combined, but don't worry if any lumps remain. Mixing them more than necessary can actually make the pancakes chewy, while they should be fluffy. The pancake dough will be ready to be cooked immediately, but you can also make it more elaborate. For example, you can incorporate the following ingredients as you like:
- Fresh fruit, such as blueberries and banana pieces
- Dried fruits, such as dried raisins and cranberries
- Chocolate chips;
- Nuts and seeds.
Step 4. Bake the pancakes
Pour a small amount of dough into the center of the pan. For larger pancakes, use about 80-120ml of pancake batter. To make them smaller, use 30-60ml of dough instead. To make mini pancakes, use 1 tablespoon of dough for each pancake.
Step 5. Turn the pancakes
When bubbles form in the center of the dough and start popping, then the pancake is ready to be turned. Continue cooking on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden.
To keep them warm, keep them in a warming drawer, cover them with aluminum foil or place them on a baking sheet and place them in the oven setting it to the minimum
Step 6. Add more oil and repeat the whole process
Repeat the cooking process until all the dough is finished and all pancakes are cooked. Add a few drops of oil before pouring a new ladleful of batter into the pan.
Part 2 of 3: Eating a Stack of Pancakes
Step 1. Stack the pancakes
Stack 3 large (or 4 small) pancakes on a medium or large plate. You can also make 2 stacks with 3 mini-pancakes.
- To add toppings between each layer of pancakes, simply spread your favorite ingredients on the first pancake before stacking the second. Then, do the same with the remaining pancakes.
- Pancakes don't necessarily have to be stacked - you can also serve them one at a time.
Step 2. Add classic toppings
To eat pancakes, a knob of butter is usually spread on the top pancake and then a drizzle of syrup is poured over the entire stack. Butter can also be substituted for coconut oil, margarine, or nut butter. Some of the most used syrups are maple or corn syrups. You can also use honey, agave nectar, or rice syrup.
You can also add your favorite toppings between the pancake layers if you like
Step 3. Avoid making them mushy
Pouring the syrup directly onto the pancakes regardless of the amount used can make them mushy. Some people don't mind this consistency. But if you'd rather avoid it, fill a small bowl with syrup rather than pour it out of control over the pancakes.
- When it's time to eat them, dip each bite of pancake into the syrup with the help of your fork.
- Make sure you give a small bowl of syrup to each individual diner if you have guests at the table.
Step 4. Experiment with other seals
If you feel like experimenting, you need to know that pancakes can be garnished in a variety of ways. Many people like to accompany them with fresh fruit, compote or jam. You can also add dried fruit, seeds or dried fruit to increase the nutritional value of the pancakes. Plus, you can opt for sweet toppings like whipped cream, chocolate chips, and chocolate syrup. The choice of toppings is very personal and everyone has different tastes!
Step 5. Cut the pancakes with a knife and fork
Since they are stacked and each bite includes several layers of pancakes, it is good to cut them into small pieces. Starting at the edge of the pancakes, prick the layers with your fork to keep the stack steady. Cut the section you pierced with the fork making sure that the knife goes through all the layers.
If you are going to dip the pancakes in the syrup, insert the fork in it and let the excess run into the bowl
Step 6. Eat and enjoy pancakes
Once you have cut a small bite, lift it up with your fork. Keep it still on the plate for a second, so that the excess syrup or other ingredients fall back into it. After bringing the food to your mouth, remove the fork and be sure to chew it well before ingesting it.
- Soft foods need to be chewed about 10 times before they are swallowed, while harder foods (such as nuts) up to 30 times.
- Only cut one bite at a time to keep pancakes stacked.
- Remove any food or syrup residue around your mouth using a napkin.
Part 3 of 3: Eat the Stuffed Pancakes
Step 1. Make pancakes
To fill and roll pancakes you will need to make larger, thinner pancakes, similar to French crepes. Dilute the dough by adding 60-120ml of water to make it spread more easily in the pan. Pour 80-120ml of pancake batter into the hot pan. Cook them as explained above.
Add about 2 tablespoons (30 g) of sugar to the dough to make sweeter crepes, suitable for dessert
Step 2. Prepare the filling and garnish
Stuffed pancakes can be sweet or savory, perfect for both breakfast and dinner. Sweet pancakes can be stuffed with fruit (bananas, strawberries, and blueberries are the most commonly used fruits), whipped cream, nut butter, chocolate syrup, caramel, or other ingredients you'd use for classic pancakes. Savory pancakes can instead be filled with:
- Meat or tofu
- Stir-fried mushrooms or sauteed vegetables, such as onions and asparagus
- Cheese;
- Fillings that you usually use to make baked stuffed potatoes.
Step 3. Stuff the pancakes
Spread a pancake on a plate. Take a handful of topping and sprinkle it creating a line in the center of the pancake. Roll it on one side with your hands to wrap the filling. Slip the filling into the pocket you created when you rolled the pancake, then proceed until you have a compact roll.
Alternatively, you can fold the pancake like a crepe instead of rolling it
Step 4. Garnish the pancake
Arrange the pancake on the plate in which you will serve it with the closure facing down (i.e. it should be placed on the surface of the plate). Garnish it as you wish. If it's sweet, use butter, syrup, or other ingredients you'd usually use for pancakes. For savory pancakes try toppings like:
- Gravy sauce
- Grated cheese;
- Hollandaise sauce
- Hot sauce or barbecue.
Step 5. Eat pancakes and enjoy them
Starting at one end, cut a small piece at a time. As you eat, wipe away any food debris around your mouth using a napkin.
Advice
- Pancakes are perfect for making a mouth-watering breakfast for kids, and many of them like to add their favorite toppings. Just make sure the pancakes and other ingredients are cut into small bites to keep them from choking.
- Don't be afraid to experiment and try new ingredients or recipes, such as banana, chocolate chip, or blueberry pancakes.
- Garnish the pancakes with ice cream.
- Add some frozen fruit. The juice that comes out of this type of fruit can be used as a sauce to flavor pancakes.
