Pancakes
New York City is in the grip of its second blizzard of the year as I write this. The afternoon started with a pleasant post-Christmas snowfall. I was proud of myself for heeding the advice of the morning show hosts and running up to the business district first thing. I had a quick breakfast at one of my favorite cafes, where the other patrons were as glad as I was to get out and about after the two day house arrest of the Christmas holiday. By the time I left the market, carrying a few days' worth of groceries, the snow had started to fall, and by the time I got home, it had started to accumulate. I spent the afternoon writing while snow fell outside the windows and a big pot of lentil soup simmered on the stovetop. As I refilled my coffee cup and turned on lamps at sunset, the accumulation was significant. By night-time, while deciding which movie to cue in the DVD player, John and I stuck our noses outside the apartment. From the vestibule we could see that the door to our apartment building had been slammed shut by at least two feet of snow, and that the snow was still falling.
We awoke this morning to what, by the end of the day, meteorologists would pronounce as one of the five most significant snowfalls in city history. From the windows of our ground-floor apartment we could see hillocks of snow taller than the cars they concealed. Grown men, braving the elements, all but disappeared in snow as high as their chests. Resourceful snow bunnies who broke out their skis in hopes of making it as far as the corner deli cross-countried back home, defeated, after wind gusts sent them tumbling backwards into snowdrifts.
Nothing is more welcome on a winter morning than a big breakfast. The folks at the local diner know the power of breakfast. Witness the menu that falls open to the two-page spread proclaiming BREAKFAST 24 HOURS from years of being perused first. Platters of omelets and waffles pass your table as you wonder who orders the single-serving cereal boxes stacked in pyramids behind the counter. Mothers know the power of breakfast, which is why they fuss at you to eat something before you go out to play in the snow. And grandmothers know the power of breakfast, which is why so many of us have warm memories of hot bowls of oatmeal touched with crumbles of brown sugar and drizzles of honey, of thick slabs of ham served with perfectly cooked eggs, and of stacks of pancakes.
Pancakes are the undisputed snow day favorite, and a surprising source of contention among the grandmothers and great aunts who are the social guardians of the practice. Much as biscuit bakers have, pancake-makers have perfected their recipes over years of effort. There are those who leaven their pancakes with yeast and those who use baking powder, and both are fiercely defensive over the art and the science and the results. There are those who use buttermilk and those who use whipped egg whites and, I swear I'm not making this up, those who use bacon grease. As I always say, each is convinced that their recipe is the best, and each is right.
Here is the original recipe for the pancakes I made for us during this blizzard. I have used this grandmother-approved recipe for years. It makes pancakes with a light texture that fairly begs to soak up butter and maple syrup. This recipe is simple enough to make whipping up a short stack no more of a request at breakfast time than frying a couple of eggs, and good enough that you'll be requested to. Serve your pancakes with crispy bacon and hot coffee. Place the butter and the maple syrup on the table and let winter do its worst outside. In here is it warm and dry, and the food is good.
PANCAKES
A cast iron griddle is an essential piece of equipment in our urban kitchen; here is a good, inexpensive one. If you don't have a griddle, you can make pancakes in a frying pan, keeping them warm in a single layer in the oven until the stack is ready to be served. If you don't have wheat flour, use 1 cup all purpose flour for the flour mixture in the recipe. This recipe makes two stacks of pancakes.
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
Butter and maple syrup for serving
1. Place a cast-iron griddle on the stovetop (it may require being positioned over two burners). Use a paper towel to wipe down the cooking surface of the griddle. Turn the burners to low.
2. Measure the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into a bowl. Use a whisk to mix together.
3. Break the egg into the batter bowl. Use the whisk to beat the egg until foamy.
4. Still whisking, pour the milk into the egg in a thin stream. Once you've incorporate all of the milk, whisk in the vanilla extract.
5. Place the butter in a small pan and then place the pan on the stovetop. Turn the burner to low and melt the butter, swirling the pan just until the butter is melted. Remove the butter from the heat and set aside to cool.
6. While the butter is cooling, use the whisk to incorporate the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Whisk just until incorporated, it is okay if the batter is lumpy.
7. Use the whisk to incorporate the melted butter into the batter. Whisk just until incorporated; it is okay if the batter is lumpy.
8. Use a small pat of butter to lightly grease the griddle. Use the paper towel to wipe down the griddle, being careful to avoid the open flame.
9. Turn the burner(s) to medium-high. Use a ladle to pour about 1/4 cup batter in a circle onto the surface of the griddle. The griddle will probably accommodate about four pancakes at a time.
10. Cook pancakes until bubbles appear in the center and spread to the edges and the edges begin to brown. Use a silicon spatula to flip each pancake. Continue cooking until the spatula, pressed on the center of the pancake, meets no resistance, indicating that the pancake is cooked through.
11. Serve pancakes in stacks while still warm from the griddle. Re-grease and wipe down the griddle as in step 8 before preparing each new stack.
We awoke this morning to what, by the end of the day, meteorologists would pronounce as one of the five most significant snowfalls in city history. From the windows of our ground-floor apartment we could see hillocks of snow taller than the cars they concealed. Grown men, braving the elements, all but disappeared in snow as high as their chests. Resourceful snow bunnies who broke out their skis in hopes of making it as far as the corner deli cross-countried back home, defeated, after wind gusts sent them tumbling backwards into snowdrifts.
Nothing is more welcome on a winter morning than a big breakfast. The folks at the local diner know the power of breakfast. Witness the menu that falls open to the two-page spread proclaiming BREAKFAST 24 HOURS from years of being perused first. Platters of omelets and waffles pass your table as you wonder who orders the single-serving cereal boxes stacked in pyramids behind the counter. Mothers know the power of breakfast, which is why they fuss at you to eat something before you go out to play in the snow. And grandmothers know the power of breakfast, which is why so many of us have warm memories of hot bowls of oatmeal touched with crumbles of brown sugar and drizzles of honey, of thick slabs of ham served with perfectly cooked eggs, and of stacks of pancakes.
Pancakes are the undisputed snow day favorite, and a surprising source of contention among the grandmothers and great aunts who are the social guardians of the practice. Much as biscuit bakers have, pancake-makers have perfected their recipes over years of effort. There are those who leaven their pancakes with yeast and those who use baking powder, and both are fiercely defensive over the art and the science and the results. There are those who use buttermilk and those who use whipped egg whites and, I swear I'm not making this up, those who use bacon grease. As I always say, each is convinced that their recipe is the best, and each is right.
Here is the original recipe for the pancakes I made for us during this blizzard. I have used this grandmother-approved recipe for years. It makes pancakes with a light texture that fairly begs to soak up butter and maple syrup. This recipe is simple enough to make whipping up a short stack no more of a request at breakfast time than frying a couple of eggs, and good enough that you'll be requested to. Serve your pancakes with crispy bacon and hot coffee. Place the butter and the maple syrup on the table and let winter do its worst outside. In here is it warm and dry, and the food is good.
PANCAKES
A cast iron griddle is an essential piece of equipment in our urban kitchen; here is a good, inexpensive one. If you don't have a griddle, you can make pancakes in a frying pan, keeping them warm in a single layer in the oven until the stack is ready to be served. If you don't have wheat flour, use 1 cup all purpose flour for the flour mixture in the recipe. This recipe makes two stacks of pancakes.
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
Butter and maple syrup for serving
1. Place a cast-iron griddle on the stovetop (it may require being positioned over two burners). Use a paper towel to wipe down the cooking surface of the griddle. Turn the burners to low.
2. Measure the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into a bowl. Use a whisk to mix together.
3. Break the egg into the batter bowl. Use the whisk to beat the egg until foamy.
4. Still whisking, pour the milk into the egg in a thin stream. Once you've incorporate all of the milk, whisk in the vanilla extract.
5. Place the butter in a small pan and then place the pan on the stovetop. Turn the burner to low and melt the butter, swirling the pan just until the butter is melted. Remove the butter from the heat and set aside to cool.
6. While the butter is cooling, use the whisk to incorporate the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Whisk just until incorporated, it is okay if the batter is lumpy.
7. Use the whisk to incorporate the melted butter into the batter. Whisk just until incorporated; it is okay if the batter is lumpy.
8. Use a small pat of butter to lightly grease the griddle. Use the paper towel to wipe down the griddle, being careful to avoid the open flame.
9. Turn the burner(s) to medium-high. Use a ladle to pour about 1/4 cup batter in a circle onto the surface of the griddle. The griddle will probably accommodate about four pancakes at a time.
10. Cook pancakes until bubbles appear in the center and spread to the edges and the edges begin to brown. Use a silicon spatula to flip each pancake. Continue cooking until the spatula, pressed on the center of the pancake, meets no resistance, indicating that the pancake is cooked through.
11. Serve pancakes in stacks while still warm from the griddle. Re-grease and wipe down the griddle as in step 8 before preparing each new stack.
You may be surprised by this, but I do not like maple syrup. Whenever my dad makes pancakes (usually with chocolate chips and/or peanut butter), I butter them, then dust them with powdered sugar. There is nothing like a good, thick pancake on a cold, snowy morning! My dad has a repertoire of pancake recipes that he chooses from, depending on what we want in and/or on them. I always want mini chocolate chips and lots of them, but his "puffer pancake" stuffed with peanut butter is a close second!
ReplyDeleteI often use powdered sugar rather than maple syrup myself. Love both!
ReplyDelete