Today we celebrate pancakes. My husband would affirm that if I had my way I would want to celebrate pancakes EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. But alas, today is the day we officially celebrate the simple yet delicious breakfast treat which gives us the opportunity to follow Kate Spade’s timeless directive to “Eat cake for breakfast.”
Pancakes have been a favorite part of the diet of many cultures for hundreds of years. in fact, researchers have found pancakes in the stomach of Otzi the Iceman’s human remains dating back 5,300 years! (Proving they’re so easy to make a cave man could do it…You had to know that was coming…) In ancient Roman and Greek societies, writings show pancakes were made from wheat flour, olive oil, honey and curdled milk. Pancakes have been written about in the poetry of the ancient Greeks and have been mentioned in some of the works of Shakespeare. Through the years the simple pancake has taken on many forms of specialization when spices, fruits and even libations have been added to ‘elevate’ them.
The fact is, any breakfast feels more special when there’s a pancake griddle heating these sweet temptations. My husband Jodie often says the best things you can make are just a combination of simple ingredients combined with care, and I think he couldn’t be more right. So today, in celebration of National Pancake Day, let’s put aside the box mix and take just a couple seconds longer to mix up some batter from scratch. Mixing it yourself gives you the chance to drop some love inside, and Love- after all- makes EVERYTHING better.
Here’s a simple pancake recipe in case you don’t already have a favorite! Note that you can adjust the recipe depending on how fluffy you like yours to be. You can also add chocolate, fruit, sugars, etc. to make them your own. Note that the dry ingredients can be mixed ahead of time and stored just like your favorite boxed mix, and the full batter is good for even a few days in the refrigerator. I’d love to hear your favorite way to enjoy pancakes.
Pass the butter, y’all. You CAN have your [pan]cake and eat it too!
Recipe:
1 cup All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Sugar (if you like them sweet)
2 eggs
1 1/2 to 2 cups of Milk
Butter (you may prefer to have some melted butter ready for cooking and some unmelted butter ready for the pancakes as they come off the griddle.)
Preparation:
Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat. In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Beat eggs into 1 1/2 cups milk, then stir in 2 tablespoons melted cooled butter, if using it. Gently stir this mixture into dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten flour; don't worry about a few lumps. If batter seems thick, add a little more milk.
Place a teaspoon or 2 of butter or oil on griddle or skillet. When butter foam subsides or oil shimmers, ladle batter onto griddle or skillet, making pancakes of any size you like. Adjust heat as necessary; usually, first batch will require higher heat than subsequent batches. Flip pancakes after bubbles rise to surface and bottoms brown, after 2 to 4 minutes.
Cook until second side is lightly browned. Serve, or hold on an ovenproof plate in a 200-degree oven for up to 15 minutes.
