Pancake variations

540 calories for a stack of 2-3! Dys and I could use that.

Well, it would be a spluge. But ... good fat, y'know.

I think I would leave out the chocolate myself, though not for calorie reasons.

I've a new unusual pancake I've tried. Delicious.
Of course I'll change the recipe next time, but here's the recipe first:

http://www.chow.com/recipes/28985-lemon-ricotta-pancakes




Makes: About 16 (3-1/2-inch) pancakes
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
By Jill Santopietro

Fluffy ricotta and fresh lemon zest are a perfect pair when swirled into an airy pancake. The biggest challenge with this recipe is sharing the pancakes with others. For best results, use fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese or make your own.

INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for coating the frying pan and serving
1 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon packed finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 to 3 medium lemons)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
Powdered sugar, fruit, or maple syrup, for serving (optional)


INSTRUCTIONS
Place butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until butter has melted; remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; set aside.

Place egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in a quarter of the milk-butter mixture (this will temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling), then whisk in the remaining milk-butter mixture until smooth.

Add the reserved flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not overmix); set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks (they should bend like soft-serve ice cream; make sure the bowl and whisk are perfectly clean with no traces of grease, or the whites will not whip properly). Halfway through whisking them, sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using the rubber spatula, fold the whites into the reserved batter until just combined.

Gently fold the ricotta into the batter, being careful not to break down the texture of the cheese (the batter will be lumpy and streaked with ricotta); set aside.

Heat a large nonstick frying pan, griddle, or seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it: If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use.

Lightly coat the pan’s surface with butter, then use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop the batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve immediately with powdered sugar, fruit, butter, or maple syrup.

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Osso - what I did wrong - started out using too much batter per pancake and having one break apart because my spatula was too small to go under the whole thing. Also, I bought low fat ricotta by mistake (I avoid low fat cheeses, rather have none), but the pancakes still are tasty.

What I would do next time - use at least half olive oil, and less salt - although the butter and salt are part of why these are so delicious.

I don't think they need anything else, great by themselves - re toppings, etc.

I think doing the egg whites separately (I used my hand mixer) is well worth it.

On the lemon peel, too rather smallish lemons were enough.

No special recipe, but I've had pancakes made with a very thin batter. What you do is sprinkle them with sugar, roll them up, and eat them like tortillas.

I can make almost anything into finger food.

I make low-carb ones with soy flour. I also like savory ones that I make with sausage gravy.

Right, I love those. I remember them as Swedish pancakes. They even make Swedish pancake mixes.

Well that's one flour I haven't tried yet..


mmmm, savory pancakes with sausage gravy.. that might work better than biscuits and gravy - which are always a crapshoot to order in restaurants - but when they're good, they're fabulous.

The pancakes with gravy is nice because it is lighter than biscuits. You don't feel like a few small canon balls are sitting in your belly. I like Bob's Red Mill brand for soy flour. I also have used almond flour for the same low-carb reason and it also works nicely as a pancake.

Osso, I don't have a pancake recipe per se, but thanks to you and the Dys, I had an inspiration a coupleof years ago. He wrote that you were making Dutch Baby, and I was intrigued, having never heard of it. I ended up getting quite good at it. I now make it using muffin tins for little individual babies. The dough rises neatly around the sides,making a cup, which I fill with either fruit or savouries, depending on the mood.

That sounds kind of neat.

Oooh. Individual Babies.. what savories?
Even the big one is fun, although it deflates. Thanks for reminding me. The good thing is, I usually have the ingredients.

Which reminds me of popovers - have only made those once since grade school (we had some kind of girl scouts cooking class, and then they were wonderful). The time I tried to make them as an adult I somehow did it wrong.. so, eh!

Another thing I want to try is making my own dosas, indian crepe like things - savory. Can't remember the flour - it might be a bean flour like garbanzo, or rice flour, I forget. I've tried those from a box, good, but that store is miles away, and I think they're easy enough assuming I find a recipe.

LionTamerX, tell us more.. (if you feel like it, re the dutch babies).

http://www.tastespotting.com/tag/Dutch+Baby+Pancakes

love the look of these little dutch babies



the source

http://thekarmickitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/southern-saturday-with-virginia.html

They look a little something like the picture Beth posted. The muffin tin constrains the the rising dough and makes a nice little light, fluffy cup that can be filled with whatever you're in the mood for.

Within reason, of course.

Almond flour - be still my heart! I know I'd like that, whereas I'm raising my eyebrows re me liking soy flour. Do you get it at Whole Foods? We have one here but I haven't been to it for something like five years. Or is it at TJoes? Hate to order it online, re postage. Well naturally, I can check their websites.
Hmmm, maybe the Co op.

Back in Humboldt County, I was a major Co-op fan. Smallish store, good and sometimes great food (meat and fish, cheeses, produce, jams, soaps), interesting people, between our gallery and my house - easy peasy and pretty close to ordinary supermarkets re costs, at least for a good portion of the items. I checked out the one here, and was very disappointed. Wretched looking produce, and so on, and still fairly far away from me. I suppose I should go back there sometime.

Maybe savouries wasn't quite the right word. Depending on the crowd, we would either fill them with chopped fruit, or sausage and onion, or on one occasion, scrambled egg with pastrami and swiss cheese.

No, right word to me anyway. Scrambled eggs, et al, I'd like that.

My mother-in-law makes flak seed pancakes. They're atrocious. I'll sneak downstairs and see if I can't find the recipe in my wife's bin, then burn it.

I only like these kind filled with jam.