"pancake recipes" news and stories

Happy National Pancake Day!

Dubbed "one of humankind's oldest forms of bread" by The New Food Lover's Companion, pancakes need no introduction, having appeared on all sorts of American menus, from maple syrup-drenched fast food varieties to uniquely seasoned gourmet versions.

Since today's holiday conveniently falls under National Breakfast Month (September), we've compiled a list of our favorite sweet pancake recipes. But as flavorful and palate-pleasing as these suggestions might be, don't let them limit you -- the beauty of the pancake is that it can accommodate almost any single flavor combination desired.

• Lemon-ricotta pancakes (pictured above)
• Coconut pancakes with cardamom syrup
• Pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon butter
• Blueberry-banana-oatmeal pancakes
• Eggnog pancakes
• Peanut butter and banana pancakes
• Blueberry buttermilk pancakes
• Carrot cake pancakes

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My father (aka Mo) is something of a pancake connoisseur. He spent a bit of time working at the International House of Pancakes as a short order cook during his youth. He found their pancakes to be so bland and unimpressive that he set off on a life-long mission to create the best pancake he could. This meant that I grew up with excellent pancakes. His were nutty and full of belly-satisfying whole grains. One of his secrets is the addition of honey-toasted wheat germ to the mix. Sadly, this ingredient has gotten increasingly difficult to find over the years.

Despite the challenges to find the appropriate wheat germ, he still makes a good pancake and has passed that knowledge on to me. I've always been an eager study when it comes to food and so hungrily drank in his pancake wisdom as a small child. He recommends to carefully monitor your heat, so that the insides of the pancakes cook completely before the outside gets too dark. He always greases his griddle with vegetable oil, wiping off the excess with a carefully folded paper towel. Lastly, he teaches that you know it's time to flip your cakes when the bubbles start to pop at the edges and don't close back over themselves.

In some parts of the world, tomorrow is known as Mardi Gras. Others know it as Shrove Tuesday and still others simply refer to it as Pancake Day. For those of you who like to eat a big stack of pancakes before heading into the austerity of Lent, check out the recipe for Mo's Famous Pancakes after the jump and get cooking!

The general recipe for pancakes seems to be 100g plain flour, a pinch of salt, 1 medium sized egg and 300ml milk. Of course variations abound: 

• using 115g each plain flour and caster sugar, 115g eggs, 50ml water, 3tbsp Pear Liqueur, 115ml milk
• using 115g flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 medium egg, 125ml milk, 100ml cold water, 1 tbsp brandy, 1tsp sunflower oil
• using 150g plain flour, 1 tsp caster sugar, 300ml full fat milk, 2 eggs

Savoury variations have saffron infused in the milk or using a mix of flours (whole grain, buckwheat or maize) . The addition of Calvados or Cointreau to the batter adds a subtle flavour. All recipes require resting for 30 minutes before using. The addition of fruit to the mix is another option; such as the Blueberry Pancakes pictured from the Epicurean I am going to use the bottom combination of ingredients (as listed above) and serve with a walnut cream and butterscotch sauce.

Any other delicious variations we can try?