Pancakes for ALL Occasions—Getting it Right!
Pancakes at family reunion breakfasts, for camp outs, on lazy Saturday mornings, or every-once-in-a-while for supper—no matter what the reason, pancakes are for ALL occasions. In fact, polls show they’re a popular centerpiece for a Mother’s Day breakfast.
So this got me to wondering if there’s anything special we ought to know that makes one batch better than another? Turns out, “Yes, there is.” So say my “go-to” for all-things-cooking, America’s Test Kitchen experts. Here’s what their experimenting turned up: Be sure you don’t over-mix. Leave a few streaks of flour in the batter; if you mix more, the pancakes will be tough. Avoid wasting batter by using a non-stick skillet or griddle. If wanting blueberry (or other fresh berry) pancakes, add them directly to the pancakes in the skillet, not to the batter. This technique keeps them from dying everything the color of the berry.
If wanting to make buttermilk pancakes, don’t run to the store for the buttermilk. Instead, use a mixture of lemon juice (or vinegar) and milk to create that buttermilk tang and thickness. To test if your skillet or griddle is ready, cook a tablespoon of batter. If after 1 minute the pancake is blond in color, the pan is not hot enough. If after 1 minute the pancake is golden brown, the pan is heated correctly. And don’t try to speed up the process by heating the griddle at a higher temperature—dark, unevenly cooked pancakes are the result. Keep your batches of pancakes warm as you continue cooking (if you want everyone to eat at the same time), place them on a greased rack set on a baking sheet in a 200° oven. The warm oven keeps the pancakes hot enough to melt a pat of butter, and leaving the pancakes uncovered prevents them from becoming soggy.
And if you decide you’d like to get a little fancy and make German pancakes (with apples is the traditional recipe), then choose Granny Smith over MacIntosh. MacIntosh apples collapse when cooked. Granny Smith apples keep their shape when cooked, so they not only look better, they lend a better texture to the entire dish. Finally, ever wonder what’s the best griddle out there? Once again, America’s Test Kitchen pros know the answer—they’ve tested them all. Their top choice is the Broil King Professional Griddle ($149.99 on amazon.com; but if you have Prime, it drops to $49.99). They liked the ample size (it comfortably holds a full pound of bacon), it has one of the largest grease trays available. And after it reaches the correct temperature, there is very little temperature fluctuation, so pancakes cook evenly every time.
And the West Bend Cool Touch Electric Griddle (about $40) was their runner-up. It is an inch or so smaller than the BroilKing (only holds 12 strips of bacon), but it heated up to 350° a little quicker than the BroilKing and also cooked pancakes evenly. The pros reported on one minor drawback: The grease channel was slightly cumbersome to wash.
So there you have it, tips for perfect pancakes and even suggestions on the best griddle to cook them on. Pancakes are perfect for any occasion (Mother’s Day so included!)—especially when you know how to get it right! In closing, here’s one of the tastiest and unusual pancakes recipes you’ll find. Serve this with lightly sweetened whipped cream and you have a true applause-worthy breakfast!
1 (8-ounce) can pineapple slices (4 rings per can)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 maraschino cherries
2 cups pancake batter (from box mix or your favorite recipe)
Directions:
Add Recipe to Cook'n
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So this got me to wondering if there’s anything special we ought to know that makes one batch better than another? Turns out, “Yes, there is.” So say my “go-to” for all-things-cooking, America’s Test Kitchen experts. Here’s what their experimenting turned up: Be sure you don’t over-mix. Leave a few streaks of flour in the batter; if you mix more, the pancakes will be tough. Avoid wasting batter by using a non-stick skillet or griddle. If wanting blueberry (or other fresh berry) pancakes, add them directly to the pancakes in the skillet, not to the batter. This technique keeps them from dying everything the color of the berry.
If wanting to make buttermilk pancakes, don’t run to the store for the buttermilk. Instead, use a mixture of lemon juice (or vinegar) and milk to create that buttermilk tang and thickness. To test if your skillet or griddle is ready, cook a tablespoon of batter. If after 1 minute the pancake is blond in color, the pan is not hot enough. If after 1 minute the pancake is golden brown, the pan is heated correctly. And don’t try to speed up the process by heating the griddle at a higher temperature—dark, unevenly cooked pancakes are the result. Keep your batches of pancakes warm as you continue cooking (if you want everyone to eat at the same time), place them on a greased rack set on a baking sheet in a 200° oven. The warm oven keeps the pancakes hot enough to melt a pat of butter, and leaving the pancakes uncovered prevents them from becoming soggy.
And if you decide you’d like to get a little fancy and make German pancakes (with apples is the traditional recipe), then choose Granny Smith over MacIntosh. MacIntosh apples collapse when cooked. Granny Smith apples keep their shape when cooked, so they not only look better, they lend a better texture to the entire dish. Finally, ever wonder what’s the best griddle out there? Once again, America’s Test Kitchen pros know the answer—they’ve tested them all. Their top choice is the Broil King Professional Griddle ($149.99 on amazon.com; but if you have Prime, it drops to $49.99). They liked the ample size (it comfortably holds a full pound of bacon), it has one of the largest grease trays available. And after it reaches the correct temperature, there is very little temperature fluctuation, so pancakes cook evenly every time.
And the West Bend Cool Touch Electric Griddle (about $40) was their runner-up. It is an inch or so smaller than the BroilKing (only holds 12 strips of bacon), but it heated up to 350° a little quicker than the BroilKing and also cooked pancakes evenly. The pros reported on one minor drawback: The grease channel was slightly cumbersome to wash.
So there you have it, tips for perfect pancakes and even suggestions on the best griddle to cook them on. Pancakes are perfect for any occasion (Mother’s Day so included!)—especially when you know how to get it right! In closing, here’s one of the tastiest and unusual pancakes recipes you’ll find. Serve this with lightly sweetened whipped cream and you have a true applause-worthy breakfast!
Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes
Serving size: 2
Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) can pineapple slices (4 rings per can)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 maraschino cherries
2 cups pancake batter (from box mix or your favorite recipe)
Directions:
1. Pat the pineapple rings dry with a paper towel, then transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
2. Heat a large nonstick pan or cast-iron griddle over medium-low heat. Add the butter.
3. While the butter is melting, sprinkle one side of the pineapple rings with the brown sugar. Place the pineapple rings sugared-side down in to the pan, leaving enough space around them to allow for the pancake batter to be poured over top. Cook until the sugar caramelizes and the pineapples turn light brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Place a maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple ring. Carefully pour about 1/2 cup of pancake batter over each pineapple ring to make 4 pancakes. Cook until the batter starts to bubble and take on a dull look, about 3 minutes.
5. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and serve.
2. Heat a large nonstick pan or cast-iron griddle over medium-low heat. Add the butter.
3. While the butter is melting, sprinkle one side of the pineapple rings with the brown sugar. Place the pineapple rings sugared-side down in to the pan, leaving enough space around them to allow for the pancake batter to be poured over top. Cook until the sugar caramelizes and the pineapples turn light brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Place a maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple ring. Carefully pour about 1/2 cup of pancake batter over each pineapple ring to make 4 pancakes. Cook until the batter starts to bubble and take on a dull look, about 3 minutes.
5. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and serve.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Sources:
- www.youtube.com
- www.cookingclassy.com
- www.wikihow.com
- www.walmart.com
- www.bedbathandbeyond.com
- www.4sonsrus.com
Alice Osborne
DVO Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
