We knew it was a special Sunday morning when my dad made pancakes, and not just because it was one of the only times butter made an appearance in our kitchen. Cooking breakfast was a rare, and therefore somewhat magical, event. Since tomorrow is actually a special Sunday (psst: it’s Father’s day), making Dad a luxurious, carb-laden breakfast is a low-key but sweet way to make Dad feel appreciated.
This isn’t my dad’s recipe for pancakes, but this is one I’ve used a number of times to make a fluffy, griddled stack of deliciousness, and they go really well with sunny-side-up eggs. Here’s one tip I learned from my dad: beat the egg whites separately until they can stand up but aren’t dry. Then fold them into the batter (along with the egg yolks) as normal. Here’s what you’ll need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 milk
2 tablespoons (about 28 grams) melted butter
Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. If you don’t have a sifter, use a whisk or a fork to stir.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and 1 1/2 cups milk. Add to the flour mixture, stirring only until smooth. (Or, whisk together the egg yolks and milk, then in another bowl beat the egg whites until they can stand but aren’t dry. Then add the egg whites and the yolk milk mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until smooth.)
Add in the melted butter, stirring as you add it to the batter (since the butter is hot, add it slowly and stir a lot so it doesn’t cook the eggs). If the batter seems too thick, add in a bit more milk.
Cook the pancakes in a hot, buttered pan. Cook until bubbles form and the pancake gets a little dry on the edges and browned on the bottom, then flip it over and brown the other side. Serve with maple syrup, butter, fruit, jam, ice cream, or other condiments you like.
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons author Brandon Martin-Anderson
