Pancake obsession

[Brodirt]

The pizza thread got me thinking about my quest for the perfect home made pancake.

More than a decade ago my wife and I spent months and months perfecting our pancake recipe and we have enjoyed it since. Last weekend we made a slight change to the classic version, our first ever change, and loved it. We made used ricotta cheese in place of sour cream that we used in our originals.

The ingredients come from Cooks Illustrated:
2 cups flour (we have tried many types but find King Arthur unbleached all purpose to be the best...we tried their organic as well as Bob's Red Mill organic unbleached all purpose and didnt notice a difference)
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream for the classic.....1/3 cup ricotta for the new version
2 large eggs
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

As usual mix dry in one bowl and wet in another.

We differ from CI in our preperation, and find it makes a major difference.

For liquids:
Seperate the whites and yolks. Incorporate the ricotta (or sour cream) into the milk; incorporate the butter into the egg yolks; and then combine the two until they are consistent liquid. Then whip the whites to med. peaks.

Dry:
Sift everything together twice.

Combine:
Pour liquid, minus egg whites, into dry and mix very, very, very lightly. Then fold the egg whites into the rest of the batter until just combined.

Cook as usual...we use a very old 2 burner stove top griddle that needs no addition lubing, but on those occassions we desire a snappier crust we use a tiny bit of butter on the griddle for each batch.

Additions:
We find that the classic buttermilk pancakes are great with blueberries, or the kids love chocolate chips, but the ricotta version is simply awesome with blueberries...the ricotta adds enough sweetness that you almost don't need maple syrup.


Now, I need someone who has gone to this effort on waffle batter because the above doesn't make such great waffles and I have tried at least 10 different waffle recipes and none are all that all that...unless of course you want to discuss the Liefe Waffles I make every April in honor of "La Doyene" or Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the oldest of cyclings spring classics. Those are outrageous.

[BurkDarkpatches]

I'm not a huge pancake fan (I do like them), but my wife is 20% physically composed of pancakes (a pancake fiend is what I'm trying to say). I will definitely try this sometime.

Steve

[holiday]

Pancakes like this don't seem to be very popular over here in the UK, in fact I have never eaten them. When we talk about pancakes its more like a crepe. I think I will have to have a go with your recipe. What do you recommend to eat them with?

[airplanedoc]

What do you recommend to eat them with?

Real Butter and 100% pure grade A Vermont Maple Syrup

Of course a side of Bacon can't hurt either

[Emmett]

Buttermilk blueberry pancakes are to die for. I'm going to try your recipe this weekend!

[Jim]

Thanks!

[mmack66]

Maybe NSFW:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoKZhaigLQA

[Luc]

I usually use the Dodgy Oliver recipe:

1 cup of flour
1 cup of milk
1 egg

Mix and cook. I think they would be crepes more than pancakes...

[withoutink]

For the Win - I make deep fried chocolate chip pancakes. They are actually best served cold the next day.

[rm71]

I usually use the Dodgy Oliver recipe:

1 cup of flour
1 cup of milk
1 egg

Mix and cook. I think they would be crepes more than pancakes...

That is the recipe I use as well. Simple and quick.

[tsmba]

My fav (so far) was a recipe from Midwest Living (similar to the one posted above). I've tried dozens of recipes with everything from whipped egg whites folded in to exotic flours. One thing that really makes a difference is a soapstone griddle. I read about them in a novel, so I ordered one and found it yields great results.

[82R100]

Pancakes like this don't seem to be very popular over here in the UK, in fact I have never eaten them. When we talk about pancakes its more like a crepe. I think I will have to have a go with your recipe. What do you recommend to eat them with?

Do you have maple syrup in the UK? I'd imagine that Vermont maple syrup would be very expensive indeed.

A decadent (and unusual) style of eating pancakes that I learned from a fraternity brother in college is to spread sour cream over the pancake and sprinkle with brown sugar. Somewhat rich.

- Chris

[Brodirt]

My fav (so far) was a recipe from Midwest Living (similar to the one posted above). I've tried dozens of recipes with everything from whipped egg whites folded in to exotic flours. One thing that really makes a difference is a soapstone griddle. I read about them in a novel, so I ordered one and found it yields great results.

What is the difference in performance with the soap stone griddle?

[Monkeydad]

I'm not a huge pancake fan (I do like them), but my wife is 20% physically composed of pancakes (a pancake fiend is what I'm trying to say). I will definitely try this sometime.

Steve

If you want to stay alive, NEVER SAY THAT TO HER FACE, or to anyone she knows.

[ouch]

I make a lot of pancakes- cornmeal buttermilk, buckwheat oatbran, gingerbread (a killer)...

I was once honored to have one of my recipes prepared by no less a personage than Mrs. Scotto, but for some inexplicable reason I had to email her a scan of my hand.

[Brodirt]

I make a lot of pancakes- cornmeal buttermilk, buckwheat oatbran, gingerbread (a killer)...

I was once honored to have one of my recipes prepared by no less a personage than Mrs. Scotto, but for some inexplicable reason I had to email her a scan of my hand.

So...why you holding out that gingerbread recipe?????

Try my ricotta blueberry recipe...you won't be disappointed.

[johnniegold]

My weakness.



I am gonna give that recipe a try.

[mretzloff]

100% pure grade A Vermont Maple Syrup

+1

Since trying real maple syrup, I have refused to try the "fake" (or whatever it is called). Here is the bottle I currently have in the 'fridge:

[ouch]

So...why you holding out that gingerbread recipe?????

I use minor variations on the classic Magnolia Cafe recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/d...ipe/index.html

Try my ricotta blueberry recipe...you won't be disappointed.

Will do.

[Hughies_online]

I've got the worse pancake craving as a result of this thread