These pancakes are fast, fluffy, and don't make a huge mess of your kitchen.
You can serve each batch of pancakes as you make them, or you can keep finished pancakes warm while you're cooking the rest: Place them on oven-safe plates, an oven-safe platter, or a baking tray in a 90°C oven. Make sure to use oven gloves to take them out of the oven when you're ready to serve (the plates, platter, or baking tray will be hot). Serve with extra butter and maple syrup, a dusting of icing sugar, or drizzled with Strawberry Sauce (page 229).
MAKES: 12-14 pancakes
INGREDIENTS
- 240g plain flour
- 55g granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 400 ml milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for cooking
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Pancake add-ins:
- 1 tablespoon of fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips
- 3-4 slices of banana
METHOD
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and line a 12-hole regular muffin tin with paper cases.
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Add the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Use the whisk to break the egg yolks, then whisk until the ingredients are just combined and the eggs are evenly distributed but the batter is still a little lumpy. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes to thicken up.
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Add ½ teaspoon of oil to a 30cm nonstick frying pan. Heat the frying pan on the hob over medium heat until the oil is hot but not smoking (see page 17), 2 to 3 minutes.
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Using oven gloves, pick up the handle of the frying pan and carefully swirl the oil so it evenly coats the pan. Set the frying pan back down on the hob.
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Use a ladle to scoop 3 portions of batter into the frying pan, leaving some space between them, then use the measuring cup to spread each portion into a circle. If you're adding fillings (see Pancake Add-Ins), sprinkle them evenly over each pancake while the batter is still wet.
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Cook the pancakes until bubbles pop on the surface and the bottoms are golden brown (slide a spatula underneath a pancake and lift up a little bit to peek underneath to check), 2 to 3 minutes.
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Use the spatula to flip each pancake. Cook until the second side of each pancake is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. (If your pancakes start to get too dark too quickly, turn the heat down a little bit.)
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Use the spatula to transfer the pancakes to serving plates (to keep them warm, see the introduction). Repeat steps 5 to 7 with the remaining batter, adding ½ teaspoon oil to the frying pan and swirling it to coat the pan evenly in between batches - you'll make 4 or 5 batches total. When you're done with your last batch, turn off the hob. Serve.
FUN FOOD FACT: You can add all kinds of mix-ins and flavours to a basic pancake recipe. Famous freedom fights Rosa Parks swore by a pancake recipe that used peanut butter!
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