Easy Pancake Hacks – Nd Breakfast Edition

We’ve all been there. For some reason the kids wake up before the sun. You offer them the same kind of cereal you always have in the house, oatmeal, or cheese sticks. Nope – kids scream for something special to eat. There’s 3 hours before the first zoom lesson of the day. We’re all stuck in this forever.

This is the answer to that special breakfast, and I’m going to give you hacks to make it even EASIER! The ingredients cost near zero and are almost always in the house. Kids go nuts for ‘em and adults gather quickly to get them while they are hot. I am talking about hot cakes, pancakes, griddle cakes, flap jacks…doesn’t matter what you call them – can we at least agree it is a cake? You need to make a batter, cook it and serve it with exciting toppings. Simpler than a waffle, with no special tools needed, this quick cooking, cost saving, kitchen hack includes a family friendly breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Base pancake recipe

2 cups all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

3 Tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

1 1/4 cup milk

2 xl eggs or 3 L eggs

2 tbs oil

Directions

1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Thoroughly mix wet ingredients.
3. Fold together. Keep lumpy

Triple Hacked blender recipe

1.5 cups all purpose flour

0.5 cup corn starch

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

.5 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk

¼ cup milk

2 xl eggs

¼ cup oil

Directions

1. Assemble in blender carafe, wet ingredients first.
2. A rough stir in the carafe will make it come together quicker.
3. Blend. This will be a smooth, thin batter

In the hacked recipe you’ll notice some changes which work best with this particular method.

1. Not a hack but it is very important when baking soda is used. Baking soda is a leavening that gives a cake an intense initial lift. To balance that basic baking soda, we need to replace milk with a more acidic buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk will react with the basic baking soda and release gas, inflating our baked good. Without an adequate amount of acid, the finished product will taste unpleasant – some even say metallic. Out of buttermilk? Not to fear! Substitute plain yogurt, dry buttermilk, or 1 cup milk with 1.5 tsp lemon juice or plain white vinegar. If you do not have any of these stick to the standard milk and baking powder from the first recipe.
2. The addition of corn starch and reduction of flour in the blender carafe serves to lower the gluten in your pancake batter. This lets us mix the batter completely and get the light fluffy pan cake we dream of.  If the original recipe were put through in the blender, the result would be gummy and hard pancakes, with way too much gluten development. This is the difference between mixing your batter by hand and letting a machine do it for you.
3. I increased the oil and sugar for two reasons. First, it thins the batter making it easier for the blender to mix. The second is for leftovers. Pancakes don’t always freeze well. With the little extra fat and sugar to maintain the cakes moisture, freezing and reheating will be a success.
4. The blender carafe is also an excellent way to dispense the pancake batter into the pan or griddle. Pour straight from the pitcher on the hot greased surface.

Cooking instructions:

1. Butter the hot pan for extra flavor
2. Dispense the batter from the blender or bowl.
3. Don’t cook too hot! The key to consistently perfect pancakes is a low to medium flame, but every stovetop is different. Yes, it will take a little longer to cook through than you think but there is a short long way and the long short way.
4. You’ll know when your pancakes are ready to flip when the outer edge is nearly completely set and you have bubbles throughout the top side. The second side cooks much quicker than the first side, so keep a close eye at this step!
5. Use the cooking time to ready the toppings everyone is probably screaming for!