Tuesday, February 27 is National Pancake Day (with International Pancake Day on March Sunday March 4 following close behind). Historically hosted as the last day before Lent, the date moves yearly and always occurs on Fat Tuesday (also known as Mardi Gras).
Since pancakes are universally loved, we thought we’d share out favorite recipes from around campus.
Jim’s Homemade by Hand Pancakes
Food & Water Security Coordinator, Jim Chamberlin thinks it’s better to take your time with your batter and that it’s not too important to be exact.
Chamberlin begins, “I start with four hand fulls of Natural Way Mills Gold N White Flour. Then I add two eggs, a couple capfuls of raw apple cider vinegar, and a couple blobs of melted butter. I pour in milk until I get a consistency of wet cement. Then I let it stand for two to 12 hours.”
I went to the St. Cloud IHOP to research some other famous pancake recipes.
He continues, “Then I make a different mix in a separate bowl made of one hand full of raw cane sugar and two big pinches of baking powder (without any aluminum phosphate). I then add it to the flour mixture, folding it in lightly.”
Then comes the fun part.
“I pour onto a well-buttered cast-iron skillet (but bacon grease works as well) and cook until bubbles form. Flip ’em and cook until brown.”
Jim harvests and boils his own maple syrup from trees tapped on his farm outside of Brainerd.
“I serve my pancakes with real maple syrup (and more butter), but the rule at our house is that you can take as much maple syrup as you want, but don’t you dare leave any on your plate!”
Allison’s Old Time Recipe
Garden Assistant, Allison Rian shares her favorite pancake recipe, a whole wheat grain affair from King Arthur Flour. She, goes on to share what she learned from a cook from the famous Mickey’s Diner down in St. Paul.
Mickey’s Diner is legendary.
“My husband and I sat at the bar at Mickey’s Diner one evening waiting for a show to start at the Fitz[gerald Theater]. The cook was making blueberry pancakes on the griddle directly behind the bar, and we started talking. He went on and on about new recipes and old recipes (like pre-World War 2), and he claimed the secret to the best tasting pancakes was to whip the egg whites and fold them into the batter. He gave me a free pancake, and it was delicious!”
Colin’s Lo-Carb Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pancakes
Speaking of eggs, one of my favorite pancake recipes uses cream cheese and eggs, and not much else. Unlike the other delicious recipes on this list, these are considered low-carb but can still taste as good as the others. Thanks to I Breathe, I’m Hungry for the delicious recipe.
Mine never look this great, but they sure taste good.
Ingredients:
2 oz cream cheese
2 eggs
1tsp sugar substitute
1/2 tsp cinnamon
couple dashes of vanilla extract
Directions:
Put ingredients in a blender until smooth
Let rest for 2 minutes
Pour 1/4 of the batter into a hot pan greased with butter
Cook for 2 minutes, flip and cook another 1 minute
Repeat with remainder of batter.
Serve with peanut butter or fresh berries. They’re delicious!
Raya’s Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes
I had a chance to ask my wife’s sister, Raya, how she makes her pancakes. She hosts a Saturday pancake feed for her large family and invites extended family in on the fun. They’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember, so I wanted to know what made her pancakes so special. Why were family and friends coming back week after week.
Bubbles on the batter is the key to knowing when they’re flippable.
“Of course, the key to good pancakes is knowing when to flip them. You flip them when the bubbles solidify,” she informed me.
Ingredients:
8 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour
1/2 cup baking powder
1/2 ground flax seeds
2tbs cinnamon
Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients
Add water until it gently sheets off the spoon
Add 1 cup chocolate chips
Cook on an oiled pan
That’s our favorite pancake recipes. What’s your go to?