Why do my pancakes look like this?

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

The question I have, is how do they taste? How's the texture? That is really what more important than the look itself.


As far as kingship goes, there is a debate about that.

There's no debate in my mind, Charlie. We share the title, equally. Both of our recipes were judged, and found to be best in class. They are different as night is to day. and both have their place in the pancake hall of fame. I salute you, not compete against you.

I always say that there is not one best way to make anything. I stand by that. So with that said, I say we give the OP our pancake recipes. Here's mine.

Chief Longwind's World Famous Pancakes

There was a time when my Dad would take me to my grandparents’ house. Now you have to understand. I was a skinny and generally small of stature, so they were always trying to feed me. Of course, since I had boundless energy and used all of it, I had an enormous appetite. I would often receive for breakfast a bowl of Sugar Smacks, or a bowl of oatmeal, followed by 2 poached eggs, from the egg-poaching pan of course, and served atop a piece of toast, and finally, either pancakes or waffles.
When the final course was pancakes, my Grandpa would serve them up as he sang; “Pancakes are delicious, pancakes are so fine, I oughta know, cause I like ‘em so, that I eat ‘em all the time.” He always had a big grin on his face as he served them up.
Of course, the pancakes I got in those fondly remembered days came from a ready made mix, usually Aunt Jemima brand. But to a skinny kid, they were gourmet treats.
In honor of my Dad, and my Grandparents, I chose for my signature dish, pancakes. Of course mine are far different. But I still sing that little ditty that my Grandpa used to sing when I dish them up. “Pancakes are delicious, pancakes are so fine...” I even made everyone at our church sing it before I would serve them my pancakes at one of our annual pancake breakfasts. That was fun.
So here’s the recipe that I perfected (with help from my eldest daughter), and serve every year by request to better than a hundred folks.

[FONT=&quot]Ingredients: Dry Ingredients:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 cup all-purpose flour[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 tbs. Sugar[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]½ tsp. Salt[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3 tsp. Double Acting Baking Powder (You must use Double Acting Baking Powder to get the best texture)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Wet Ingredients:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3/4 plus 1/8 cup milk[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 large Egg[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3 tbs. Cooking oil[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Preheat the griddle. Place the dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir together with a wire whisk or mixing spoon. Add the remaining ingredients and again stir until mixed. Do not stir until all the lumps are gone as this will over-mix the batter. There should be small lumps. These will dissappear while cooking the pancakes.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Cook over medium heat until the bubbles close slowly as they rise and pop. Do not cook until the bubbles stay open as this will dry out the pancake. And most importantly, Don’t squish them down with your cake turner or spatula. When they are ready to flip, turn them over and cook for about 1 minute more. Remove from the pan and serve immediately. If you must cook up enough for a bunch of people, keep them warm by stacking in a large-rectangular cake pan and placing the pan into a 120' oven covered with a clean kitchen towel.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] You can add blueberries to the uncooked batter without changing anything else. However, if you add acidic fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, or pineapple, you will need to add ½ tsp. Baking soda to the batter to balance the acid from the fruit.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] The above recipe makes enough pancakes for two people. You can easily enlarge the recipe by simply multiplying the ingredients by the same number. That is, if you double the flour, multiply all other ingredients by two.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sorry for the lengthy recipe. I took it from one of my cookbooks in progress. I just copied and pasted it.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
[/FONT]

 

[buckytom]

aww, c'mon! i was looking forward to the main event: chuck vs. the chief in a no pancakes barred cage match.

 

[Steve Kroll]

There's no debate in my mind, Charlie. We share the title, equally. Both of our recipes were judged, and found to be best in class. They are different as night is to day. and both have their place in the pancake hall of fame.

Now hold on just one dadgum minute....

A lot of us were nowhere around when this apparent "competition" took place. Now it just so happens I have a pretty good pancake recipe myself and, being competitive by nature, will "throw down" against anyone. I'd bet there are others here who feel the same.

Maybe it's time for a rematch? Just sayin'.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Yeah but who can eat the biggest stack of pancakes. ( I don't think I have ever seen Charlie's recipe?.)

 

[buckytom]

step aside boys, and see how it's done! stack 'em high and step back. keep your hands and feet inside the car. this could get ugly, and syrupy... (only real vermont maple syrup, of course. the grade is up to you)

 

[Dawgluver]

Hmmm. I think another contest might be in the works, what say you all?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I don't have any runs or such planned...ready to help set up a challenge.

So...
Steve Kroll
Chief Longwind of the North

Is Charlie D competing?

Pancakes, only pancakes!

 

[Steve Kroll]

I'm absolutely in. But the only fair test is a blind judging. Any ideas on how to do that? Do we send them off in the mail somewhere?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Sounds fair, you have to wear a blindfold to make them...no, no...that won't work.

Judges have to make all three, four, five recipes and vote for best. Have to be folks you all agree to trust their word for good pancakes. Or the Participants have to try all the different recipes and let us know if they found another recipe better than theirs...

OR ship them all to Frank...he needs pancakes, he's looking a bit peaked lately.

 

[Dawgluver]

I'll be driving through MSP next week, maybe Steve and Charlie can each fling me a pancake as I go by. I'm totally unbiased, as I don't like pancakes.

I'll miss the Chief, not going through MI, he'll have to meet me halfway or use the snowball thrower.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

After Pac supposedly sent out whole hawgs of home cured belly bacon to everyone, my faith in the email service dimenishes and I don't trust Fed-ex/UPS either, no matter how cute someone thinks the UPS guy is wearing summer uni's. Besides, how does one deliver pancakes and achieve that melty pat of butter on top of the stack if it's just tossed on your doorstep, Right side up. Pancakes do have a right side up. Is it even marked. Fragillay.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

If you are really going to do this, then there is only one real way to do it fairly. You will need to make a batch of each recipe, and serve them in a blind taste test to members of your family, without them knowing whose recipe they are eating. Tally their votes, and send them in for each recipe. It could be done as a voting poll, as were the Golden Chef competitions were. I think there will be a bunch of happy judges.

Now you just need volunteers to cook the pancakes.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[PrincessFiona60]

That sounds fair...however there are certain folks who cannot eat that many pancakes without blowing their carb intake for the year...

 

[CharlieD]

There's no debate in my mind, Charlie. We share the title, equally. Both of our recipes were judged, and found to be best in class. They are different as night is to day. and both have their place in the pancake hall of fame. I salute you, not compete against you.

I always say that there is not one best way to make anything. I stand by that. ....

Could not agree more.

My yogurt pancakes are as simple as it gets.

Ingredients:
1 – 8 oz. yogurt
1 cup all-purpose flour*
1 – Small egg (if you only have large it is not a problem)
1 pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon of baking soda mixed with about half a tablespoon of vinegar**
Oil for frying.
Sour cream and Syrup, or even jelly, for serving***


Note:

* If yogurt is only 7 oz., as a lot of them are nowadays, you only need 7 oz. of flour.
** You can use baking powder, but I do not know how much you would need to substitute.
*** These pancakes are neither sweet nor savory, but conveniently can be served either way. My kids like it sweet, I on the other hand like it savory. I eat mine with the sour cream and lox or caviar, or even herring. If I do eat it sweet, I do not like my pancakes with maple syrup, but my daughter does. I use fruit syrup like Smucker’s brand, found in the baking section.


Directions:

Put flour in a bowl. Add all wet ingredients mix well, until no lumps. Preheat frying pan. Pour some oil in the pan. Use small ladle to pour batter into pan. My pancakes are somewhat oblong and are about 2-3 by 3-4 inches. Fry on one side until the top looks like it’s starting to bubble up a little bit. Flip them over and fry the second side.
Serve hot with above mentioned sides.

Last, but not least; I always make extra (usually triple the recipe). We warm them up in the microwave for kids before school. You will find out that they are as good even a week later.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Stepping back a moment to Jed’s pancakes. I kind of like the patterns your pancakes make. And the crispy edges. The little holes in the lighter parts, not so much. Readily improved upon. I think you should be allowed in the so-called Frisbee Pancake Throw- Down.
Pancakes. They are not just for breakfast.

 

[CharlieD]

I've made Chief's pancakes and they are excellent, my wife and kids absolutely loved them.
I'd be willing to make somebody else's now.

 

[CharlieD]

Pancakes. They are not just for breakfast. ..

That is for sure.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

That sounds fair...however there are certain folks who cannot eat that many pancakes without blowing their carb intake for the year...

Eat a couple bites of each, with some good sausage or bacon.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Eat a couple bites of each, with some good sausage or bacon.

Well, I could agree to this. Many mixing bowls, happy hands. As much as I talk, my mouth is bigger than my stomach. It would probably satisfy any sugar or carbo over load concerns too.


Now, who volenteers to clean up the drips and spills between my counter and stove, and the syruppy goodness that drips on my shiirt betwen fork and mouth. Yeh, I thought so, no hands up on this. I prefer lite domestic activity too.

 

[CharlieD]

P.S. There should be some pictures of my pancakes somewhere in one of the albums.