The Best Possible Breakfast
Fluffy American style pancakes or griddlecakes are often served for breakfast across the North American continent. Stacked up in tottering towers dripping with maple syrup. This is how I first encountered them sat at the counter in a diner on the West coast. They were served with a side of crispy grilled streaky bacon, which was the size of a small hill. There was enough coffee to float a cruise liner. The waitress wore a red and white gingham apron. I felt as if I had walked on to a movie set.
You don’t have to go all the way to the West Coast of America to get hold of some great pancakes. If you fancy a fabulous breakfast there are plenty of fantastic places in the Channel Islands. The Lookout Cafe, Cargos’s and Locke’s Stories are amongst my favourites. I love catching up with friends at Dix Neuf in Guernsey for one of the great omelets or taking the girls to Hugo’s in Jersey.
A leisurely Saturday morning at Hugo’s with a pile of breakfast pancakes is a great treat. Because of circumstances none of us is able now to stroll to a favourite cafe and indulge. So why not have a go at making your own fluffy American-style pancakes.
Fluffy American style Pancakes
American pancakes are made from a light batter cooked on a flat top, griddle plate or in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. You make the batter with flour, eggs, a raising agent and milk, buttermilk or yoghurt. They have a moist open texture. Scotch pancakes or drop scones are made with a similar but sweeter thicker batter so are similar in appearance but smaller with a heavier texture. I think Scotch pancakes are meant to be eaten slathered in salty butter.
When you have made your pancakes all you will need is some maple syrup and a stack of crisp grilled streaky bacon. If you prefer yours just sweet, as breakfast or a dessert, you can serve them with nuts, fruits like bananas, blueberries and apples with cinnamon, honey, cream, ice cream, and chocolate sauce, just like pancakes. However you like your American pancakes, or sweet, enjoy.
Fluffy American Pancakes
Ingredients
- 140 gram Plain Flour
- 125 ml whole Jersey Milk
- 1 large free-range Egg
- 30 gram Caster Sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted Jersey Butter plus some extra for cooking
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- A large pinch of Salt
Instructions
- Take a large bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a jug, whisk the milk egg, vanilla essence and melted butter together with a fork.
- Slowly pour the liquid into a bowl and the fork mix together to make a smooth batter. When the batter is smooth set aside for ten or so minutes.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter. When has melted and started to bubble, add a small ladle of pancake batter. Circle the ladle on the batter to make a thick round pancake.
- When the top of the pancake begins to bubble, turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown and the pancake has risen to about one centimeter thick.
- Remove the pancake and put on a tray and place in a warm oven. Heat another piece of butter and repeat the process until all the batter is used up.
- Serve with lashings of real maple syrup.
