Making Pancakes

While I was out on the internet reading, I came across a cute article written by Samantha Fredell. The article was on how to make pancakes. Though I've made pancakes thousands of times, I thought I'd read her article to see if I could make them even better. Samantha offers a few tips such as quick stirring in the melted butter that I was not aware of before. Here's her article:

For all the people in the world who loath breakfast, pancakes are a Godsend. For all those who are passionate about breakfast, pancakes are just another incredible gift to an already incredible list of delicious breakfast foods. No matter what you prefer, almost everyone loves pancakes, and it can only be to your advantage to master the the recipe for such a tasty cake!

First, you will need to look for a recipe. Look in your favorite cookbook or search the net and find the one that is right for you. It can be a plain recipe or you can make chocolate chip pancakes, sour cream pancakes, or sand dollar pancakes. Whatever you choose, the same basic instructions go for most recipes.

Now it's time to start your pancakes. Beforehand, measure out the dry ingredients. Use the correct measuring cups and spoons, and be as precise as possible. If you have too much of an ingredient or too little, especially with baking powder, it might mess it up. If the flour is supposed to be sifted, sift it to avoid lumps. Combine all the ingredients together well with a spoon.

Next, combine all the wet ingredients in a bowl. If the recipe calls for melted butter, mix the eggs, milk, and other ingredients first, then add the butter and mix it fast so that it's mixed thoroughly. Beat the ingredients thoroughly enough to combine, but don't over beat and add too much air.

When both the wet and dry ingredients are mixed, add the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir gently and not too much. It's important with pancakes not to over beat because it will make the pancakes tough. Make sure you stir it thoroughly, but if there are a couple lumps, that's okay. Lumps are okay as long as there aren't too many.

Heat a griddle or pan to medium high heat and lightly grease with butter, vegetable oil, or nonstick spray. With a ladle or measuring cup, pour about ¼ cups of batter onto the pan to make pancakes (that are/spaced) about 2 inches apart. Let them cook for about a minute. Little bubbles should start to form across the pancakes. This will tell you it's time to flip. Cook for another minute on the other side.

When the pancakes are finished, they should have a golden brown color on each side. Serve them warm with butter and syrup. If you want, you could top with strawberries and whipped cream or your other favorite topping. Don't wait until the next sunrise, start your pancakes now!

Samantha loves to cook and bake and give others tips and ideas to do the same. To find out more information about pancakes and cooking breakfast, go to Makepancakes.com

If you need a tate tester, I'm certain I'm free

Audrey :)