NOTHING is better on a cold wintry morning than pancakes - and these pancakes are the best I've ever tasted...and I'm sure will be the best you'll ever taste - I'd bet my griddle on it! I haven't been to Bette's Oceanview Diner but I recently picked up a copy of their book, The Pancake Handbook, and have added them to my list of PLACES TO EAT before I die...everyone has a list like this, right? These pancakes are the favorite at Bette's and I can see why - they are buttery and cakey and fluffy...just the way a pancake should be.
The mister will be out of commission for the next week because the "Big Dance" has started - otherwise known as college basketball. He's been pacing around the house today just waiting for the selection show to get underway...His teams, Memphis and Maryland, are certain to play but the mister takes nothing for granted...he's dressed in his teams jerseys, socks and hats...yes, he wears them both at the same time and thinks that's normal. Whatever. He did come out of his basketball trance long enough to say these pancakes were great...high praise indeed...and even the boy loved them, eating 11 pancakes in one sitting!
Bette's Diner Buttermilk Pancakes - Adapted From The Pancake Handbook by Steve Siegelman, Bette Kroening, and Sue Conley
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk - much better than 2% or that bluish-white stuff)
1/4 cup butter, melted
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs, buttermilk, milk, and butter. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once, stirring just to blend. The batter should be slightly lumpy and quite thick. Let the batter rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Portion 1/4-cup measures of batter onto the hot griddle, spacing them apart. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles cover the surface of the pancakes, and their undersides are lightly browned. Gently turn them over and cook for about 2 minutes more, until the other sides are browned.
Pancake tips: Do not mix out all the lumps in the batter! If you want light, tender, fluffy pancakes you need to resist the urge to beat the batter!
Make sure the griddle is hot but not too hot - sprinkle a few drops of water onto the griddle after it's heated up, if the water vaporizes immediately then the griddle is too hot. If it just sits there and steams a bit, then it's not hot enough...it will be perfect when the water jumps around a bit - much like the mister when his team wins.
Don't let the pancakes touch each other - they need room to spread out and they'll cook more evenly this way - and if you eat 11 pancakes in one sitting like the boy you'll need room to spread out too!
Only flip the pancake once...and do so gently...and NEVER pat the pancakes down with the spatula...remember, they are supposed to be fluffy!
If you want to add fruit or nuts, like apples, raisins, blueberries, pecans, etc., add them after the batter has been mixed and has rested - just gently fold them in.
To make sure everyone gets HOT pancakes, heat your plates in the oven for a bit and heat the syrup in the microwave or on the stovetop and try to serve the pancakes straight from the griddle...slathered in butter, of course!
That's it...that's all I've got to give you on pancakes except that on the Dang Meter these would get 5 dangs...they are dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good!
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." ~ Bill Cosby
**************************************************************************************************************************
One year ago today: Sweet Potato Muffins
I want to give you all plenty of time to celebrate St. Paddy's Day properly this year...I failed to do that last year...so instead of the usual corned beef and cabbage, try making Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage Roll-ups - it's sure to bring a Leprechaun to your door!
