Perfect pancakes: Pointers, steps and strategies to make the hottest hot cakes

Chicago Tribune (MCT) - The secret to making perfect pancakes is obvious, according to Carla Connett:

"The very simple way to put it is that they're not made from a box or a mix," explained Connett, owner of Hotcakes Cafe in Wilmette, Ill., and Green Bay Cafe in Winnetka, Ill. "The perfect pancakes are definitely made from scratch with fresh ingredients."

Connett gets asked all the time how to make great pancakes. Perhaps that's because people are wild about pancakes and it's her business. Or, maybe, there's a sort of unease surrounding pancake-making, as though the production of this ancient quick bread is more a secret art than a teachable craft. Yet the experts are willing, eager even, to share their tips for working 'round a griddle.

Raise your expectations

"I think most people grew up with pancake mixes or pancakes served in coffee shops or short-order houses," said Dorie Greenspan, a well-known baker and cookbook author. "They are always bigger and higher than the pancakes you make at home.

"Sometimes, I think that's what people are striving for: a big, fat flapjack the size of a plate," she added. "It's pretty high, and there are three to a stack, and you can just imagine it with dripping pats of butter and maple syrup.

"That's not my idea of a great pancake."

For Greenspan, author of "Pancakes: From Morning to Midnight," that kind of pancake has an artificial lightness of texture and lacks the full flavor that comes from using high-quality ingredients.

And Greenspan is not sold on the notion that the best pancakes are light as air.

"I think there are some pancakes that should be light and others that shouldn't," she said. "I don't think there's one texture that fits all. For instance, if you're making an oatmeal pancake, I think you want a little texture and maybe even the pancake version of heft.

"Nobody wants a tough pancake," she added, "but you want to be able to chew it and know what's in it."

Follow a recipe but be adaptive

Even a professional such as Greenspan reaches for a recipe when making pancakes. She wants to get just the right proportion of liquid and flour. That doesn't mean she won't improvise on a recipe. Greenspan will sometimes replace some of the flour with cornmeal or whole-wheat flour for a different taste and texture.

Go for the lift

The pancake is basically a batter bread cooked speedily on a griddle, in a skillet, even a hot stone in prehistoric times. No matter the recipe, you want an element of bubbly lift in each pancake. That can come from a number of sources: baking powder, baking soda and beaten egg whites. Potato starch is Ina Pinkney's pancake secret. "We use some potato starch to stabilize the batter, and it's lighter than flour," confided Pinkney, known as Chicago's "Breakfast Queen." She calls her pancakes "heavenly hots" at her restaurant, Ina's.

Make the batter at the last minute

All recipes for pancakes call for "dry" and "wet" ingredients. Pancake experts such as Greenspan recommend combining the dry ingredients in bulk in advance so you always have your own house pancake "mix" available. Stir in the wet ingredients right before cooking. If the batter sits too long, the flour will absorb too much liquid and thicken the batter.

Don't overmix

"A couple of lumps are OK," Greenspan said. "If you've done a good job of mixing the dry ingredients, you won't have many lumps." Too much mixing results in tougher pancakes.

Choose a good pan

Pans or griddles with heavier bottoms tend to heat more evenly and lessen the risk of burning the pancake. Greenspan prefers a nonstick pan so less oil is needed.

Use oil to grease the griddle

A flavorless oil in the pan will let the flavor of the pancake shine through, Pinkney noted. Butter has a tendency to burn. Also, don't use too much oil, as it will create splotches instead of uniform browning. The first few pancakes on the griddle absorb most of the oil; the second batch is better.

Regulate the heat

Be flexible here, Greenspan warned, lowering or raising the heat depending on how hot your pan is.

"You have to play with the heat," she said. "You want the griddle hot enough so when you ladle on the batter it will spread. But if the griddle is too hot, the pancake will set too quickly without spreading."

Keep 'em small

"The trick is to make the pancakes small and use one of those flexible spatulas to turn them," Pinkney said. "It's better to make more of them and make them smaller because you'll have better control over the turning."

Turn at the right time

"Flip when you start to see several little bubbles in the batter," advised Carla Connett, owner of Hotcakes Cafe in Wilmette and Green Bay Cafe in Winnetka. But be careful; the second side cooks more quickly. It's OK to lift up the edges to peek at browning progress.

Be sparing with toppings

"When I see people drowning pancakes in syrup before tasting them, I can tell they are IHOP people," Pinkney said. She prefers her customers to try their pancakes plain first so they can see how little syrup they really need.

Nor is Pinkney a big fan of maple syrup. She thinks the maple flavor overwhelms her heavenly hots pancakes. She serves a fruit compote instead.

Share pancake joy

"Pancakes are fun in every way," Greenspan said. "They're fun to eat. They're fun to make. People love them."

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HOMEMADE PANCAKE MIX

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes

Makes: 20 pancakes

Getting your ingredients ready the night before is key to staging a successful breakfast. This mix, developed by the Tribune's Bill Daley and chef Christopher Prosperi of Connecticut's Metro Bis restaurant, will be ready to go; just stir in sugar to taste and liquid ingredients right before cooking. Store the mix in a 4-quart plastic container with a tight-fitting lid in a cool, dark, dry place.

10 cups flour

Ľ cup baking powder

2 tablespoons baking soda

1 tablespoon salt

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt well in a large bowl. Transfer to storage container; cover. Store until ready to use.

To make pancakes (about 20): Put 3 cups of the pancake mix into a bowl; stir in sugar to taste (from 2 tablespoons to ˝ cup). Whisk 4 eggs in a medium bowl; whisk in 2 cups milk and Ľ cup melted butter into the eggs. Add the dry ingredients; stir until just incorporated. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add ˝ teaspoon vegetable oil; swirl to coat. Ladle Ľ cup batter for each pancake into the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear, about 2 ˝ minutes. Turn pancakes. Cook 1 ˝-2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Nutrition information

Per pancake (using 2 tablespoons sugar): 118 calories, 31 percent of calories from fat, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 16 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 296 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

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FRESH BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes per batch

Makes: 26 pancakes

This pancake is best when made with fresh blueberries, insisted Carla Connett, owner of Hotcakes Cafe in Wilmette and Green Bay Cafe in Winnetka. The key to the recipe is to sprinkle the blueberries on the pancakes as they are cooking. (Do not mix the fruit into the batter.) For a thinner batter, add Ľ cup more buttermilk.

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon plus Ľ teaspoon baking soda

˝ teaspoon salt

4 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

ľ cup (6 ounces) melted margarine or butter

1 pint blueberries

Confectioners' sugar or maple syrup

1. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl; whisk in the buttermilk and margarine. Stir in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.

2. Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Ladle Ľ cup of batter per pancake into skillet. Place several fresh blueberries on top of the pancakes. Cook until bubbles form and bottoms are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn carefully; cook until set, about 2 minutes; repeat with remaining batter. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Nutrition information

Per pancake: 124 calories, 46 percent of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 33 mg cholesterol, 14 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 295 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

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HEAVENLY HOTS

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 4 minutes per batch

Makes: 48 (3-inch) pancakes, 8 servings

This recipe was developed by Ina Pinkney of Ina's restaurant. She suggests portioning out the batter using a Ľ cup measure and using a very thin flexible spatula for turning the pancakes. She serves them with a peach, raspberry and blueberry compote. Look for potato starch in the baking aisle of the supermarket.

4 eggs

2 cups sour cream

Ľ cup cake flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons potato starch

˝ teaspoon each: baking soda, salt

1. Beat the eggs in a bowl, blender or food processor; beat in the sour cream. Mix together the dry ingredients in another bowl; add to egg mixture. Mix until smooth.

2. Heat a lightly greased griddle or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour large spoonfuls of batter into the skillet in batches to make 3-inch circles. Cook until a few bubbles appear on the top, about 2 minutes. Turn carefully; cook until lightly browned on bottom, about 2 minutes.

Nutrition information

Per 6 pancakes: 178 calories, 62 percent of calories from fat, 13 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 127 mg cholesterol, 12 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 284 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

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PUFFED PANCAKE

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 16 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

A puffy browned pancake served in a skillet creates a dramatic presentation. This recipe comes from "Sweet Times," by Dorie Greenspan. Serve with maple syrup or a spoonful of jam, she writes, or dress it up with a fruit filling stirred into the batter (caramelized apple or pineapple-kirsch were her picks) or a fruit topping (she suggested rum-glazed banana or cranberry-orange). The pancake will deflate quickly, so have everyone seated when it's ready.

˝ stick (Ľ cup) unsalted butter

˝ cup milk, preferably at room temperature

˝ cup flour

Ľ cup sugar

2 eggs, preferably at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, optional

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat, tilting the pan to coat the sides. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk, flour, sugar, eggs and nutmeg in a bowl until smooth.

2. Pour the mixture into the skillet; cook 1 minute. Do not stir. Place the skillet in the oven; bake until the pancake is puffed and golden, 12-15 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar; serve immediately.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 255 calories, 51 percent of calories from fat, 15 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 139 mg cholesterol, 26 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 49 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

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A SHROVE DAY TRADITION

With Shrove Tuesday this week, now is a good time to flex your pancake-making muscles.

Pancakes are a traditional meal on this day, particularly in the British Isles. They are part of a centuries-old way for pious Christians to use up their fats, eggs and other ingredients before submitting to the penitential fasts of Lent beginning Ash Wednesday.

The word "shrove" is the past tense of "shrive," which has two definitions, according to www.askoxford.com, the online arm of England's Oxford University Press. The first is hearing the confession of a penitent, assigning penance and absolving sin. The second is confessing one's sins to a priest in return for absolution.

In the United States, Shrove Tuesday is more famously known as Mardi Gras, thanks to the annual celebration in New Orleans.

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31 WAYS TO DRESS UP A PANCAKE

1. Butter

2. Maple syrup

3. Confectioners' sugar

4. Whipped cream

5. Creme anglais

6. Grand Marnier

7. Raspberry jam

8. Strawberry jam

9. Orange marmalade

10. Apricot jam

11. Major Grey's chutney, pureed

12. Flaked coconut

13. Fresh mint

14. Fruit compote

15. Lemon curd

16. Sour cream and cornichon pickle

17. Caviar

18. Cranberry-orange relish

19. Hot fudge sauce

20. Rum-glazed bananas

21. Berry-cardamom sauce

22. Tomato salsa

23. Hoisin sauce and green onions

24. Bourbon-glazed bacon

25. Chopped peaches

26. Peanut butter and jelly

27. Applesauce

28. Honey

29. Broiled rum-glazed pineapple

30. Cocoa powder

31. Cinnamon

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© 2009, Chicago Tribune.