Pancake

By: Halimat Sunmonu

A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat, typically thin, and round cake made from a starch-based batter that may also contain eggs, milk, and butter. Pancakes are typically fried in small oil or butter on a hot griddle or frying pan. It is a variety of batter-baked bread. It is commonly eaten as breakfast or as a snack. It can be taken with honey or jam. All you need to make pancakes at home is a handful of common ingredients and about 10 minutes. There is a reason this breakfast staple is always so popular.

Recipe

• Milk

• Beaten eggs

• Pure vanilla extract

• Melted unsalted butter (or margarine)

• All-purpose flour

• Granulated sugar

• Baking powder

• Salt

• Chocolate chips or fruit chops as fillings (optional)

Procedure

• In a medium bowl, mix your dry ingredients and set aside. This includes all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

• In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients: milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter. If you do not have butter, you could also use vegetable oil.

• Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir to combine until you stop seeing flour. Remember to not over-mix, which makes the batter tough. Set aside. Tip: A few lumps in your batter will keep the pancakes tender.

• Turn your stove to medium-high heat and place a large skillet or griddle on the burner. Tip: To test for temperature, sprinkle a few drops of water on the pan. You will know it is hot enough when the droplets bubble up and evaporate.

• Grease the pan with cooking spray or a tablespoon of butter. This will prevent the pancakes from sticking to the pan.

• With a ladle or a measuring cup, gently pour ⅓ to ½ cup of batter into the pan for each pancake. Use a spoon to spread and form the batter into a circle. This is the time to add pancake fillings, like bananas, blueberries, or chocolate chips.

• Once bubbles begin to pop in the pancake's centre, it is ready to be turned. Insert the entire spatula under the pancake's middle. Lift the pancake quickly about an inch off the pan's surface and flip it over. 

• After frying on the other side for about a minute, take it off the pan, then grease the pan again and pour the remaining cup of batter, repeating the same frying process.