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Dutchess_III's avatar

What is your method for making pancakes?

Asked by Dutchess_III (47126points) October 16th, 2017

First, I do not make pancakes nekkid. Second, I use a cast iron skillet, for one. I heat it up then put butter on it to melt and spread it around. Then I make my first three pancakes and when they’re done enough I spread them around on the skillet to soak up the extra butter. They’re always unacceptably crunchy on the outside, of course, so I give them to the dogs.
Then never grease the skillet again and I make the rest of my perfect pancakes.

My mom used to use an electric skillet. It didn’t seem odd at the time but she always used enough butter with each round so that they were actually fried. I remember watching the butter bubble around the edges and now I think that’s gross! But it didn’t stop me as a kid. I could eat 20 pancakes.

My ex once said he was going to make pancakes. I said, “You don’t know how to make pancakes!”
He said, “I’ve been watching you and yes I do. You mix up your batter and make pancakes and give the the first 3 to the dogs!” He had no idea why I gave the first three to the dogs. He just knew that was how it was done. He often made me laugh. Until I found myself crying more than laughing and it was over.

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48 Answers

ragingloli's avatar

I buy premade ones from the supermarket and then put them in the microwave for a minute, and then drown them in sugar.

rebbel's avatar

Recently I bought a bottle of stuff (two actually, two brands) to which I only had to add some milk, and shake it for a minute.
Then it should be ready to be turned into a pancake.
I tried two pans, oil and butters, different starting heats, but to no avail; no pancakes for me that day.
The next day I did as @ragingloli did.
Not as yummy as those of my mommy, but still.

Dutchess_III's avatar

…How does one screw up pancakes @rebbel???????????

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

I boil fry in grease margarine in the electric frying pan.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Why don’t you use the first ones to sop up the grease and make the rest with no grease? Pretty sure an electric pan would season the same way.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

Grease is good. I like watching the bubbles form in my pancakes. I have only made pancakes twice in two years. I usually just go out for pancakes.

ucme's avatar

We have staff for that

Soubresaut's avatar

For the batter, I make my family recipe. It started as a recipe from a Betty Crocker cookbook, and then we tweaked it over the years.

I also use a cast iron, although I’ll use olive oil or canola oil rather than butter. I think it’s just a habit. I just don’t tend to have much butter on hand, unless I’ve specifically bought it for something.

Put some pancakes in the pan, wait until the tops are bubbly and dry-looking, then flip. Wait until they’re cooked through, then serve.

When I was a kid I used to like all sorts of sweet things to top the pancakes, which I now just think makes them rather inedible/unappetizing. I might do cut fruit, or peanut butter, or else just have them plain. Often I’ll pair my pancakes with eggs.

My dog wishes I gave him the first three!

Dutchess_III's avatar

I use real butter for food I use butter in. I also use home made syrup. I once told Addi my recipe and he shook his head. The next thing I knew a container of REAL maple syrup from upstate New York landed in my mailbox!
I miss him.

What is your family recipe?

NomoreY_A's avatar

My wife makes the pancakes, I burn the bacon and eggs.

Soubresaut's avatar

Well, when I say “tweaked,” I mean it’s not all that different. The proportions are still the Betty Crocker proportions. Also, when I was writing my first response, I momentarily forgot that the Betty Crocker recipe comes with some of the modifications my family does, like buttermilk pancakes or oatmeal pancakes.

The main changes: we use half whole wheat flour and half white (gives the pancakes a nuttier flavor), we add a teaspoon of vanilla, and we sometimes nix the Tbs of sugar (because apparently sugar tends to make pancakes browner?). If we’re feeling trendy, we’ll add flax seed or chia seed. Last year I had a roommate with a gluten intolerance, so I’ve also made the recipe with rice flour/almond flour plus xanthan gum, and texture-wise it is almost indistinguishable from the wheat version.

I like using butter for things, I just grew up using oils for cooking more than butter, and the habit stuck. I have to deliberately decide to use butter to even think of it. That’s all I meant there :)

Homemade syrup sounds fun!

Dutchess_III's avatar

So what is the recipe?

Here is mine from my Mom. It’s super basic. It’s 2 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water. I started replacing 1 cup of the white sugar with 1 cup of brown sugar. Then a cap full of Mapeline. (sp) It’s all I’d ever known. Then you put it in some sort of brown bottle! Probably an old creamer bottle.
Of course, the more it cooks the thicker it becomes but Mom never had the patience for that. After being heated up a bunch of times, in a pan in the morning, it finally started getting thicker. And then we were out and we started over with runny syrup.
One time my cousin from Seattle came down for business. He was here for breakfast and I made pancakes. Then he said, “Good home made syrup, Val!”
I was stunned. How did he know what it was?
Oh. Cousin. The original came down from our Gramma.
And if you shake your head you have to send me REAL maple syrup from the North East!

Of course in recent years I’ve cut that in half, then to ¼ths. We don’t eat pancakes like we did when the kids were little.

Soubresaut's avatar

I edited my response above to include a link the base recipe, and then I just make the modifications on top of it!

Dutchess_III's avatar

Thanks.

We make the most awesome waffles. We add pineapple cream cheese to them. They are outstanding…but I can’t find pineapple cream cheese any more.
I never knew that it was the whipped egg whites that made them so different from pancakes. Unfortunately, many restaurants don’t seem to know that secret either. You order a waffle and get a waffle shaped pancake.

NomoreY_A's avatar

I have to go to the Pancake House now. And it ain’t even morning. Danged foodies.

Soubresaut's avatar

Well, now that I’m thinking about the proportions, I use 1 tsp vanilla in a double batch. ½ tsp is plenty flavor for a single batch.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Driving Jellies crazy we are!

I also add vanilla to recipes even when they aren’t called for, like my waffles. I also use cream cheese where ever I can.

NomoreY_A's avatar

Stoppppp! You’re killing me!

Dutchess_III's avatar

Mmmm. With butter melting on top, mixing with the warm syrup! And a HUGE glass of ice cold milk!!

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

And blueberry syrup.

NomoreY_A's avatar

RIP – NoMoreY_A b 1953 d 2017. Murdered when hungry by a cruel foodie (All in all, I’d rather be at IHOP)

Dutchess_III's avatar

REAL maple syrup from the North East, sent with love by a Jelly!

NomoreY_A's avatar

Drill down into my grave and feed me some. Perhaps I’ll revive, and you’ll become a local hero and celebrity!

NomoreY_A's avatar

Or, you’ll see a headline in the news: Texas zombie suspected or pancake burglaries.

Muad_Dib's avatar

Usually, I use just add water pancake mix. I got into the habit of keeping it on hand when Ian was 3 and would hardly eat anything but pancakes.

I usually add a few drops of vanilla and a pinch of sugar to the mix.

JLeslie's avatar

My husband makes the pancakes. He uses a box mix, and just adds water. He uses a regular frying pan sprayed with cooking spray.

I don’t like pancakes much, but once in a while I make the batter very thin by adding more liquid, and then spread the pancake batter fairly thin in the pan. It’s basically a thick crepe. Flip once, then remove from the pan and loosely roll it. A little butter if im feeling daring, and then powdeeed sugar and a squeeze of lemon. It becomes like a lemon icing glaze.

I’d much rather have French toast.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

I like strawberries and banana creeps. With whipped cream, and chocolate drizzle.

Patty_Melt's avatar

Bisquik, in a nonstick copper skillet.
Lately, with my physical challenges, I am toying with the frozen ones.
Sometimes I go with fruit, sometimes butter and powdered sugar, not too often with syrup anymore. Real syrup is just so expensive. Everything else just tastes like sugar water.
Another thing I like is to roll two or three strips of bacon in one, then dip each bite into honey.

NomoreY_A's avatar

What, is this the Food Network? You folks are sadistic…

NomoreY_A's avatar

Damn evil foodies, does it never end

Dutchess_III's avatar

Ha ha ha ha ha @NomoreY_A!
Then there is French Toast with cinnamon. And syrup. And butter melting on them. And a glass of ice-cold milk.

NomoreY_A's avatar

Why is Dutchess III always picking on me? I feel like Charley
Brown.

Dutchess_III's avatar

It means we love you!! And you’re easy to pick on. Like me.

NomoreY_A's avatar

Hey they can’t be mean to Dutchess, say it ain’t so Joe!

Patty_Melt's avatar

Or, slice a banana across the pancakes, and drizzle with caramel syrup.

NomoreY_A's avatar

You guys are terrible. Just terrible. All that stuff sounds so double damn D – licious!

Dutchess_III's avatar

Well, I’m going to Sonic to get me a breakfast burrito. TTYL!

NomoreY_A's avatar

Breakfast at nigh on to 3:30
pm? Are you stuck in a time warp in Kansas?

Dutchess_III's avatar

Just my own time. You know.

NomoreY_A's avatar

I can dig it.

snowberry's avatar

Hubby’s version of pancakes are best described as “belly-sinkers”. They’re an inch thick and very heavy.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Why do men do that? I had to caution my husband not to make plate sized pancakes for the 4 little kids we had for breakfast on Saturday morning.

snowberry's avatar

I just asked him why he made them that way. He said he thought they were great until I told him they weren’t! LOL!

MollyMcGuire's avatar

The reason the dog gets the first batch is that your griddle or skillet is not hot enough…..just sayin’

I generally make waffles instead of pancakes and have the same problem sometimes of the iron not being hot enough when I pour the first one. I don’t use any butter in making them. I put some peanut oil in the batter but cook them without using oil. The waffle iron has a non-stick coating and my iron skillets are nicely seasoned from many years of use.

Dutchess_III's avatar

No @MollyMcGuire. It’s because the first batch has soaked up all the excess butter and is somewhat fried and crunchy on the outside, not what I want in my pancakes. It’s all a part of seasoning the pan.

I always use a cast iron griddle. After the first coat of butter, I never have to put butter on the griddle again, for the rest of the cooking process that morning.

All of my cast iron is nicely seasoned from many years of use too.

But thanks for the benefit of your wisdom.

ARE_you_kidding_me's avatar

This January I tapped three huge silver maples in my back yard and have made about four pints of syrup so far. Pancakes are made from whole wheat flour from the local bakery, eggs, buttermilk and a dash of salt. Nothing else like it.

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