Tag Archives: pancakes

Hearty Pancakes

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When New York Times’ columnist Mark Bittman wrote about cornmeal pancakes, I was inspired to tackle my own cornmeal based hotcakes.  I started with Bittman’s recipe, and added a new ingredient each time I threw a tester on the pan that I wasn’t satisfied with.  The entire process took about an hour and a half – an hour longer than I had planned on waiting to eat my weekend breakfast.  However, the result was worth it.  These pancakes are a great alternative to the rice flour/tapioca starch based mixes you’ll find because they contain more nutrient-rich whole grains, like cornmeal and oats, plus flaxseed, which contains a lot of fiber and protein.  These  gluten-free, nutty, just-sweet-enough pancake will satisfy your hunger and taste buds.

The Pancake Lab

Hearty Pancakes with Almond Butter

makes 16-20 medium sized pancakes

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup gluten-free oats

2 tablespoons flaxseed

2 tablespoons creamy almond butter (I used salted, but you can use unsalted, and then add a pinch of salt)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

You’ll notice that Mark Bittman does not have any leavening ingredients in his recipe, I don’t know how his pancakes ended up looking like they did in that photo.  My recipe has eggs AND baking powder which will help the pancakes rise slightly and cook thoroughly.

Soak your cornmeal and oats in 1 cup of boiling water in a large mixing bowl until all water is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  While the cornmeal is soaking, heat a large pan or stovetop griddle to medium high heat, it will be ready when a droplet of water dances on the surface.  After 5 minutes, add the flaxseed, sugar, and almond butter and combine well.  Add the baking powder and the two eggs.  Mix until the batter is thin enough to pour, but thick enough to glop down onto the pan.

Once you’re pan is hot, grease it with some oil and spoon your first pancake onto the pan.   I like to do a tester, to make sure my pan is the right temperature and see if the batter needs thinning (with milk) or thickening (with oats or cornmeal).  The secret to these pancakes is in the cooking.  Because they are gluten-free and contain a lot of whole grains, they won’t puff up like Bisquick cakes will, and they’ll take longer to cook through.  Once you’ve plopped the batter onto the pan, cover the pan and let it cook for 4 minutes.  It will be done when you can easily flip it with a spatula.  Flip it, and let the other side cook for another 2-4 minutes.  Continue with the rest of the batter.


Easy Pancakes

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Pancakes were a big part of my childhood.  Every weekend growing up, my dad made us pancakes from scratch.  He made them so often, he knew the recipe by heart.  Although the pancake tradition isn’t what it used to be, when all of my sisters are home, the fluffy breakfast cakes always make an appearance.

I remember going to other kids’ houses and having Bisquick and feeling pretty good that my pancakes didn’t come from a mix.  The following pancakes do.  Until I figure out my own pancake recipe, the following from a mix recipe will do just fine.

Pancakes from Pamela

makes 6 4” pancakes (this is not very many, I suggest doubling this if you intend on feeding more than two people)

1 cup Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix

1  cup water (add more if your batter is too thick)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tablespoon flaxseed (for added fiber and fluff!)

1/4 cup blueberries or chocolate chips (or both!)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and grease the pan.  It will be hot enough when water droplets “dance” on the surface.

Mix the pancake mix, flaxseed, water, vegetable oil, and egg in a medium bowl.  I found that the batter was a little thick, so I added about 1/8 cup more water.  You want the batter to be thin enough to pour, but thick enough not to run all over the pan. 

When the pan is hot, do a small test pancake.  The first pancake is always off.  Depending on the size of your pan, pour 2-3 pancakes in, making sure they have enough room to spread.  The pancakes will be ready to flip when they start bubbling.  This would be the moment to add chocolate chips or blueberries. Flip the pancakes and give it about 1/3 – 1/2 the time it took for the first side to cook. 

 Stack them on a plate or serve immediately with butter and maple syrup, or whipped cream!

Gluten-Free in DC!

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Sticky Fingers

1370 Park Road Northwest, Washington, DC 20010 (202) 299-9700

www.stickyfingersbakery.com/

I have been doing a lot of traveling lately.  In fact, Easter Sunday will be the first day I spend home in NYC in a month.  Last weekend, I was in Washington, DC to visit my friends from studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence.  Out of the five girls, two of us are gluten-free, so the DC residents found a gluten-free friendly spot in Columbia Heights called Sticky Fingers. 

Sticky Fingers is a vegan bakery and cafe with some gluten-free options- another example of alternative diets joining forces.  Being mostly a vegan joint, the gluten-free food options were limited to three sandwiches, pancakes, chocolate chip cookies, and vanilla/chocolate cupcakes.  Erin and I both had the gluten-free pancakes, because how often do you see that on a menu?  I’ve made pancakes from a GF mix before and they are pretty good, although they lack a little oomph.  These pancakes were fluffy, but tasted slightly of xanthan gum.  Enjoyable, but outstanding?  No.  What was outstanding however, was the tofu scramble that came with Erin’s meal.  They were spiced and colored with curry to make them seem more egg-like and while I wouldn’t say they tasted like eggs, the texture was spot on, and the flavor was unique enough to make me forgot I wasn’t eating eggs.  Yum. 

Of course, we had to try the gluten-free goodies.  When the opportunity to eat GF baked goods presents itself, you take advantage.  The chocolate chip cookie was slightly mush, although the flavor made up for the lack of texture.  The cupcakes, however, were a disappointment.  The cake was dry and the frosting tasted artificial. 

Props to Sticky Fingers for including gluten-free items, but it was clear that they were primarily a vegan bakery.