How to Cook Perfect Pancakes

Pancakes are a simple, good thing. But, that being said, there are a lot of ways to mess a pancake up. I've witnessed my fair share of pancake disasters and disappointments. To me, the perfect pancake is fluffy, light and a bit chewy. If that's your idea of pancake heaven - then please, heed my advice on how to make the most delicious pancakes ever! My favorite buttermilk pancakes are down below, but you could apply these tips to any pancake batter you desire to make an awesome Sunday brunch.

{just a few tips on how to reach pancake nirvana} 

(1) Fluff your flour. Fluff you say? Yes. Anytime I measure flour, I always make sure to lighten the flour by "fluffing" it, just to make sure I always measure the right amount of flour. Not fluffing your flour could result in pancakes that are too heavy - and we don't want that at all!

See! Flour that is light and fluffy!

(2) DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT over mix your batter. The most important cardinal rule of great pancake making is do not over mix your batter. The best way to make pancakes is to make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients in the center, then slowly swirl the two together until just combined. Lumps are perfectly fine - in fact, lumps are very much welcomed.

(3) Grease your pan. Cooking spray is your friend. I find it the easiest way to grease your pan and the most effective. If you don't have cooking spray on hand, butter or vegetable oil should be fine too. Just use it to lightly coat the pan so your pancakes will come off like a dream.

(4) Low and slow... is the name of the game. Although cooking on high flame might get the job quicker, the best way to cook pancakes is on medium-low heat so that the pancakes can cook evenly. As soon as the edges of the pancakes start to lose their shine and bubbles start to rise to the top of the pancake, it's time to flip!

(5) Don't press your pancakes! Pressing your pancakes will not make them cook any faster and plus, you'd be ruining all the effort you put into your pancakes to make them light and fluffy. If you feel the urge - RESIST!

The results of low and slow cooking (on the left) and high temperature cooking (on the right).

(6) Don't stack em. Pancakes are meant to be stacked only if you eat them right away! The best way to eat pancakes is to eat them straight off the griddle but if that's not a possibility - resist the urge to stack your pancakes! The heat from the pancakes will cause them to sog each other up and we wouldn't want soggy pancakes would we?

(7) Racks are your friend. Again, if eating pancakes straight off the griddle isn't a possibility, cooling racks are the best way to house fresh pancakes. Straight off the pan, arrange your pancakes in a single layer to allow the pancakes to cool. Before eating, re-warm the pancakes in a low-temperature oven (about 200 F).

(8) Bask in pancake bliss. Perfect pancakes are only perfect if they are enjoyed. So chow down!

Butter and maple syrup are necessary!

Now, on to my favorite pancake recipe. I have made plenty o' pancakes and I've loved them all - from chai flavored, matcha  flavored, pear filled, chocolate chip studded and more. But, simple, fluffy buttermilk pancakes are a special tool that any home cook can use in their arsenal. These pancakes are awesome, basically. They're incredibly light, fluffy and easy to make. I think it's the mixture of buttermilk and sour cream that makes them extra tasty!

{my favorite pancakes}

Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Yields: 16 4" pancakes

Original recipe here.

2 cups flour

2 tbsn. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

3 tbsn. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 - 2 tsp. vegetable oil, for greasing the pan

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, eggs and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients and gently stir until just combined - do not over mix! Allow the batter to sit 10 minutes before cooking. Heat 1 tsp. of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using a paper towel, carefully wipe it out, leaving a thin film of oil on the bottom of the pan. Pour 1/4 cup portions of the batter on the hot pan and cook until the edges are set, the bottom is golden brown and bubbles on the surface are beginning to break, about 2 - 3 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 1 - 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and serve immediately.

{update!}

This is another amazing pancake recipe that only uses buttermilk, so if you don't have sour cream - these will automatically make breakfast fabulous!

Best Buttermilk Pancakes II

Yields: 20 pancakes

Original recipe here.

2 cups flour (whole wheat works wonderfully too)

3 tbsn. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

2 eggs

2 cups lowfat buttermilk

2 tbsn. butter, melted

Preheat a griddle over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix. Throw some water on the griddle, if it sizzles, it's ready. Turn down the heat to medium-low and grease the griddle with cooking spray. Ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and cook until bubbles start to arise to the top of the pancakes and the edges lose their sheen. Flip, then cook until golden brown. 

Cookies & Cream Kiss Cookies

I am about to tell you something about me that you may or may not like. Ok, here goes... I, Michelle, love Hershey's Cookies & Cream Candy Bars. Some of you might have read that statement and said, huh? That's normal, cause they are delicious! Another handful of you might be slightly disgusted that I'd love something so artificial and overly-sweet. The thing is, I love a wide spectrum of things  - varying from totally organic and healthy to downright 100% artificial and artery clogging. The stomach wants what it wants. 

Well these cookies are certainly something I love. They are, and this is supported by scientific fact and empirical studies of course, the most unhealthy cookies on earth! They contain oreos, which I've heard have enough fat in them to keep you alive for three days on a deserted island and Hershey's Cookies & Cream Candy Bars. Oh, I forgot... they have cream cheese in them too... triple bypass ftw! 

But, these are some mighty delicious cookies. My favorite part is how they stay soft for days and eating them straight out of the oven is like heaven, I swear! Gooey, melty, delicious. In moderation, I think my body could handle these every so often ;)

Cookies & Cream Kiss Cookies

Yields: about 2 dozen cookies

Adapted from here. Inspired by this.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups coarsely chopped oreos

cookies and cream kisses (about 24)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer and cream until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and egg. Cream for 3 minutes more, scraping the sides to ensure everything is well mixed. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until combined. Fold in the chopped oreos. This dough is very fluffy and soft, do not be alarmed. When rolling the dough, greasing your hands with cooking spray helps! Place the sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll the cookie dough into balls, then roll them in the sugar, and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until the cookies crack along the tops - be sure not to over bake. As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, press a cookies and cream kiss into the middle of the cookie. Let the cookies finish cooking on the cookie sheet for about 3 minutes on your countertop, then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Tailored Tuesdays

Can someone please whisk me away on a trip to Greece or Rome? I'd love to stroll cobblestone streets and drink a cappuccino in this outfit...

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta & Cabbage Slaw

Gosh, I have so many back up posts it's insane. Things I've cooked months, possibly even years ago that I haven't had the time to post. And you know why? Because every time I cook something new, I fall in love with it, and find myself itching to post it before all the other ones waiting in line to be posted. Such is the life of these black bean tacos. Gosh I love 'em so. I literally just made these for lunch a couple hours ago after I got off work and found myself oo-ing and ahh-ing at their deliciousness. 

These are a vegetarian option that makes you totally forget that you used to love meat. It's healthy, crispy, tangy, a bit spicy... it goes on and on. I'm so in love with these tacos!! This is a perfect meal - cheap to make, easy to assemble, good for you and so freaking delicious. 

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta & Cabbage Slaw

Yields: 6 tacos, 2 servings

Adapted from here.

For the black beans:

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic clives, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the cabbage slaw:

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tbsn. lime juice

2 cups coleslaw mix

2 green onions, chopped

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tbsn. mayonnaise (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the tacos

2 tbsn. olive oil

6 corn or flour tortillas

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

hot sauce, for serving

In a medium pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the black beans, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Use a fork to slightly mash the beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. To make the cabbage slaw, mix 2 tsp. of olive oil and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add the coleslaw, green onions, cilantro and toss to coat. If desired, you can also add the mayonnaise for a creamier slaw. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat 1 tsp. of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add three tortillas in a single layer. Once golden brown, flip, then spoon 1/4 of the bean mixture onto each tortilla and cook for 1 minute or until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining tsp. of oil and tortillas. Fill the tacos with feta and slaw. Serve with hot sauce, lime wedges and sour cream.

Magic Coffee

This is an ode to coffee. I'm having an affair. I love tea, I do, but sometimes I need that extra little kick, that richness in flavor that only coffee can subside. Especially now that my days are longer with school and all, coffee can do things that tea can't even dream of... most namely: keep me awake during night class, oy vey!

The key to great coffee is great beans. You really must use beans you love! If you can, try to grind it just before using. But, being that most of us are lazy (ahem, me) and we don't always have the time to grind our coffee fresh, I recommend grinding in small batches, which is what I do. It's easier to find the time to pre-grind for a week than to grind every day and to be honest, I can't taste much of a difference (shhhhh - don't tell)!

This coffee is cold brewed and has a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar added, which makes it incredibly warm and comforting. The cold brew method is super easy even though it sounds complicated. Just throw everything into a container, let it meld overnight, then the next morning, strain all the grinds out and enjoy! It really is magic.

I got these new measuring spoons from Chef Toys. Aren't they gorgeously minimalistic? I had a variety of measuring spoons in my house ranging from plastic, to Hello Kitty themed, to horrific. I decided to throw them all out and stick to these. I think I made a good choice.

Coffee grinds:

The finished product ready to be enjoyed:

Pour over ice:

Add milk (vanilla soy was my choice) and enjoy!

An assembly line of sorts:

Magic Coffee

Yields:

Original recipe here.

2/3 cups coarsely ground coffee

3 cups water

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 tbsn. dark brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Put all of the ingredients in a quart jar and stir. Cover and refrigerate over night. Before serving, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and then pour back into whatever container you'd like to store it in. For each drink, fill a tall glass halfway with ice. Pour in the coffee until 3/4 full and add milk/ half and half/ cream to taste.

Here's a peek into my morning life: 

Just got the Macrina Bakery cookbook, so far it's love.

Tailored Tuesdays

Have you ever imagined the soundtrack to your life? Haha, I have.

Sometimes songs just have this incredibly cinematic quality to them - case in point: Go Outside by The Cults.

They just released the 'supervideo' for the song today! Apparently supervideos are mini-films featuring actors. In this one: Dave Franco and Emma Roberts. Supercute is what I'd call it!

MTV Shows

And here's what I'd love to wear in my life's supervideo. It's just me: simple.

My Favorite Financiers {2 ways}

These things are quite possibly one of my favorite things to bake ever. They are so deceptive. Look at them, just look at them. Those pretty little cakes above have much more to them then meets the eye. You might just cast them off as your typical tea cake but please, let's not be quite to judge.

These financiers are born from the beauty that is beurre noisette aka brown butter. Brown butter is one of the best things to ever encounter your kitchen. Once you smell the stuff, you're in heaven and once you taste it in sweets, it's a trip! Mixed with the nuttiness of ground almonds and fresh blackberries, it really makes a spectacular treat. 


My favorite part about these cakes are that they are gluten free. Gluten free you say? Heck I'm all for gluten, I love it but, this recipe uses rice flour in place of regular to make it gluten free. If you haven't tried rice flour before, give it a try! It makes delicious things like coconut mochi cake, daifuku and strawberry mochi cupcakes. I love the chewiness of it and it adds to the texture of these financiers in the most spectacular way. I love it so!

Honestly though, these little cakes are good with anything you can imagine. Here, I have them with blackberries and apricots. But I've tried them with rhubarb and with pears + pistachio. Every single time, they've come out spectacular and I can't get enough out of them. I can't wait to try them with tons of other add-ins. I'm dreaming of sweet cherries, earl grey tea, and raspberries!

Blackberry & Vanilla Bean Financiers

Yields: 12 financiers

Adapted from here.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup unsifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup sweet rice flour

pinch of salt

4 large egg whites

1 cup blackberries, washed and dried

Preheat the oven to 375 F and position the rack in the center. Lightly spray or butter the inside of 12 financier molds or muffin cups with cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet, set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it turns into a rich hazelnut brown color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes before straining it to remove the little dark butter particles at the bottom of the pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the powdered sugar, ground almonds, flour and salt on low speed until just combined. Add the egg whites and mix until all the ingredients are coming together. Add the brown butter, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Divide the batter among the molds and divide the blackberries evenly among the top. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Sugared Apricot Financiers

Yields: 12 financiers

Adapted from here.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup unsifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup sweet rice flour

pinch of salt

4 large egg whites

2 -3 apricots, washed, pitted and sliced into wedges

turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 F and position the rack in the center. Lightly spray or butter the inside of 12 financier molds or muffin cups with cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet, set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it turns into a rich hazelnut brown color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes before straining it to remove the little dark butter particles at the bottom of the pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the powdered sugar, ground almonds, flour and salt on low speed until just combined. Add the egg whites and mix until all the ingredients are coming together. Add the brown butter, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Divide the batter among the molds and divide the apricot slices evenly among the top. Sprinkle with a generous amount of turbinado sugar and Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Aren't they just stunning?!

Honey Beer Bread & Grilled Beer and Cheese Sandwiches

One cooking memory that is distinctly contained in my head is the first time I made beer bread. I was well underage, holding what I recall now as a Budweiser over a bowl of flour. I mixed, I baked, I ate... I spit it out. Yep, not the best cooking memory. I don't know what I did to maul such a carbohydrate, but I was pretty inexperienced then and I'm sure I botched just about every step of the process.

My love: BUTTER!

Well, a lot of time has passed between now and then and things have changed. I love beer for its slight bitterness, tang and distinctive scent. I love bread for its soft interior and comforting chew. Together, I think they create something that I not only love, I adore. I attempted beer bread again and I was pleasantly surprised with how delicious it was. Soft, a bit sweet from the honey with a gorgeous browned crust. Beer bread is a bit more dense than others and has a different texture than your typical loaf, but it's easy to learn to love. 

Yeasty-beer-butter-goodness:

If you're in the mood for bread and have a fear of yeast like I do (as documented here): make this! It's easy as can be. Combine, mix, bake, slice, enjoy! Really, that's it. My ultimate favorite thing about beer bread is that it actually tastes like beer. When you pull it out of the oven, the distinctive smell of beer rushes into your nostrils. You sneak a taste and there it is, beer. It's awesome. Plus, if you make this honey beer bread, you can use it to make the utterly divine goodness that is grilled beer and cheese sandwiches (below). You... will... not... regret... it. Not one bit!

Slices like a dream...

Honey Beer Bread

Yields: 1 loaf

Original recipe here.

3 cups flour

2 tbsn. sugar

1 tbsn. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsn. warm honey

1 bottle (12 oz.) beer

4 tbsn. butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x5" loaf pan, set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed, DO NOT OVER MIX! Pour half of the melted butter into the loaf pan. Spoon the batter into the pan and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until the top of the loaf is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

I think the sole purpose of beer bread is to be made into this sandwich. Being a grilled beer and cheese sandwich is the life calling of beer bread. If only we all knew what our life purposes were; life would be so simple! Combine worcestershire-caramelized onions, cheese and beer bread and you really can't get any better than that. I challenge you, I really challenge you to try to make something more delicious. 

Ooey, gooey, crispy, creamy, tangy, sweet, crunchy deliciousness:

Grilled Beer and Cheese Sandwich

Yields: 4 servings

Adapted from here.

1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 tbsn. olive oil

1 tbsn. Worcestershire sauce

4 tbsn. Dijon mustard

4 slices fontina cheese

4 slices cheddar cheese

8 slices homemade beer bread (recipe above)

salt and pepper
oregano, fresh or dried

In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until they begin to wilt. Add the worcestershire sauce, some fresh oregano (if using dried, use sparingly), and salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat to medium and cook slowly until the onions start to caramelize and gain color. Once done, set aside. Spread 1 tbsn. of mustard on 4 slices of the beer bread. Pair up the bread slices. Top half of them with a slice of fontina cheese and the other half with a slice of cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with some pepper, then divide the caramelized onion among one side. Top with the other paired bread slice and grill, panini press or George Foreman the sandwiches until golden brown, cheesy, and thoroughly heated throughout. Enjoy!

Yea, this is for real.