Recipe | Pancakes
Pancakes and Variations
Making pancakes of any type is fairly simple: mix the liquid ingredients into the dry ones. Ignore lumps for thick mixtures like Hotcakes but for thin pancake mixtures like Crepes you have to strain the batter or use a blender.
Leaving the batter to stand makes a big difference to the texture. This allows the flour to expand and gives a more tender result. Leave out the rising agents (baking powder and baking soda), pop in the fridge and leave at least 30 min or even overnight for the thicker mixtures (e.g. Hotcakes). Add the rising agent (sifted) just before cooking. This is important as both baking powder and baking soda begin to react as soon as they are wet; if you add the rising agent too soon the resulting pancakes will be flat (as I discovered once to my disappointment).
All pancakes should be cooked on a moderately hot pan. The pan is hot enough when water dropped on it bounces and sputters before disappearing.
Lightly grease the pan with a thick wad of paper towel dipped in oil or melted butter. If the mixture contains enough melted butter this will be the only time you have to grease the pan; otherwise grease for each batch.
(Usually) Sweet Recipes with a Sweet Topping:
Savoury Recipes