Let's Do It!

New recipe time! With Mother's Day nearing, let's learn something to complete the breakfast in bed thing, shall we? So, pancakes? As with what I've already discussed in some other cooking blogs, while you should stay at least somewhat close to the ingredients and amounts, it's fine to eyeball stuff and go with what you think will work.

So, you will need two seperate bowls for the dry and wet ingredients. You'll need to mix them later, so keep 'em seperate right now. About a cup or so of All Purpose (AP) flour, tablespoon of baking powder, and three tablespoon of sugar for the dry. A cup of milk, two tablespoons of vegetable oil, and a single egg for the wet. Now, whisk—or use a fork for us that don't own a whisk—the dry ingredients a bit to get them mixed, same with the wet until blended pretty well.

Now, add the wet to the dry, and mix it all until you can't see the flour anymore. However, this part is crucial. If you like fluffy pancakes, you'll want to keep the lumpy bits. Don't overmix, or it won't be as fluff fluffy.Let that mixture rest for a few minutes. Now, come over to the stove and get ready. One non stick pan goes onto the stove, low heat. Keep it there for a few minutes. This is called preheating, because the pan has to be hot enough in advance so the pancakes don't burn. By the time it's heated enough, the pancake batter should be ready.

Now, using something easy for you, be it a direct pour, a large spoon, a ladle, scoop up some of that mixture, and slowly drain it onto the pan. Pour to the size of the pancake you want. This one is a test. Why? Well, if you eyeball it like me, then you may or may not add a bit too much or too little of one thing or another. If it doesn't pour nice and fluidly, you need more milk. Add some more to your batter and mix lightly. If it seems too fluid like water, add some more flour.

Actually cooking them, a good sign that they are ready to flip—don't get fancy, use a spatula—is when bubbles start popping up on the uncooked side. Should take about a minute and a half, give or take. The sides will also be solid. Flip it carefully, it's still half uncooked batter. Watch and smell carefully. If you're unsure but have a good nose, you can usually smell that in between, when it is not cooked, and when it is going to burn. When you smell it, lay off and check it. Conversely, if you smell it but the sides are still batter and uncooked, check your heat. Might be a tab too high. Don't turn it up out of impatience.

You following me? Well, not anymore. You're done. That's it. You've made a pancake. Plate it, and make the rest with your batter. Great job! Though, I should note, you can freestyle with some things when making the batter. After it's all well and mixed, or even when you first put it on the pan, you can add things as you please. Some cinnamon, chocolate chips, blueberries, vanilla extract...

And with that, I'll sign off until the next thing. Hope you can make someone special, or yourself, a delicious breakfast! Peace!