Ever since we settled down in the current home, I've started revisiting my cookbooks and food-related magazines. I miss the days when I could subscribe the usual home and living magazines for what a cup of coffee would cost. And spending an afternoon checking through every issue I had, tearing out pages of recipes for that one binder I left the U.S. with. As for the magazines I had kept from our days in Singapore, I still have a few with me, looking as good as new cover-to-cover.
Late last week I read the May 2010 issue of Food & Travel, and was very pleased to come across a recipe for fluffy pancakes. If you bake often, it helps to associate the word "fluffy" with "buttermilk". Also, there is no reason to panic if you can't find buttermilk at the supermarket. Whenever I needed buttermilk, there would be barely three or four cartons on the milk/dairy section. However, problem solved: to substitute one cup of buttermilk, you just need to stir half a cup of plain natural yogurt in half a cup of whole milk.
So on Saturday morning, I thought I'd make some pancakes for breakfast, especially since the husband had gone through an entire week without his usual cake. I've also learned that a stack of warm pancakes is good incentive to get someone out of bed. This is really easy as you only need a mixing bowl and a whisk. Leave the stand mixer alone.
Late last week I read the May 2010 issue of Food & Travel, and was very pleased to come across a recipe for fluffy pancakes. If you bake often, it helps to associate the word "fluffy" with "buttermilk". Also, there is no reason to panic if you can't find buttermilk at the supermarket. Whenever I needed buttermilk, there would be barely three or four cartons on the milk/dairy section. However, problem solved: to substitute one cup of buttermilk, you just need to stir half a cup of plain natural yogurt in half a cup of whole milk.
So on Saturday morning, I thought I'd make some pancakes for breakfast, especially since the husband had gone through an entire week without his usual cake. I've also learned that a stack of warm pancakes is good incentive to get someone out of bed. This is really easy as you only need a mixing bowl and a whisk. Leave the stand mixer alone.
Fluffy Pancakes
Adapted from Food & Travel, May 2010
Makes 10 ten-centimeter pancakes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup self-raising flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain natural yogurt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoon butter, melted
3 tablespoon caster sugar
(Optional) Strawberries, rinsed and pat dry
(Optional) 1 teaspoon icing sugar
(Optional) Honey, at room temperature
Method:
Put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the egg. Use a whisk to stir gently just around the well to incorporate the egg into the flour mixture.
Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, butter and sugar, and continue to stir until the batter is smooth. Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. (Meanwhile you can set the table by laying out the toppings - fresh fruits, honey, jam, Nutella, and the likes - or make coffee.)
Adapted from Food & Travel, May 2010
Makes 10 ten-centimeter pancakes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup self-raising flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain natural yogurt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoon butter, melted
3 tablespoon caster sugar
(Optional) Strawberries, rinsed and pat dry
(Optional) 1 teaspoon icing sugar
(Optional) Honey, at room temperature
Method:
Put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the egg. Use a whisk to stir gently just around the well to incorporate the egg into the flour mixture.
Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, butter and sugar, and continue to stir until the batter is smooth. Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. (Meanwhile you can set the table by laying out the toppings - fresh fruits, honey, jam, Nutella, and the likes - or make coffee.)
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. To test if the pan is hot enough, wet your hand and flick it over the pan. If the water droplets skitter across the pan, it is ready. Pour the batter gently, just slightly above the pan, until it spreads out to nearly 10 cm in diameter. I say "nearly" because even after you've stopped pouring the batter, it will continue to spread for two seconds more. Bubbles will start to appear and burst, leaving tiny holes on the surface.
When there are no more bubbles, flip the pancake over and cook for a minute. Do it gently so that you obtain a nice looking top. If you flip by somehow slapping it on the pan, the uncooked batter might land splat and ruin its otherwise-pretty surface.
Repeat until the batter is used up. The pancakes are best served immediately.
When there are no more bubbles, flip the pancake over and cook for a minute. Do it gently so that you obtain a nice looking top. If you flip by somehow slapping it on the pan, the uncooked batter might land splat and ruin its otherwise-pretty surface.
Repeat until the batter is used up. The pancakes are best served immediately.
