Wait. Isn’t it Pancake Day already? Nope, it’s not until March 5. So late!
Every year I look forward to Pancake Day and to eating the kind of pancakes I eat exclusively on that day – the Portuguese-influenced style of pancakes, an adaptation of Malasadas. Last week I was there thinking, Ouuu, pancakes this week, only to check the calendar and see that it is not until next week. Sigh.
What about you? Have you too been looking forward to Pancake Day? What’s your favourite kind to have? Most people have the flat, thin, round version and usually consume them in the mornings for breakfast. When I was growing up and Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day rolled around, we exclusive ate the Portuguese-style pancakes; and we only ever ate them in the afternoon when we came home from school. Mom would be frying them as we walked through the door. It was such a treat, especially with the homemade syrup sitting in a saucepan with sticks of cinnamon flavouring the syrup. Yum! Sure, other days of the year for breakfast we would have the flat, thin, round version. But Shrove Tuesday was reserved for Portuguese-style pancakes.
The ingredients for both types of pancakes are essentially the same, with the exception of the leavening agent – one uses yeast, the other baking powder and or baking soda. Flour, eggs and milk are the base ingredients for pancakes. The addition of ingredients such as buttermilk or yogurt to the batter of flat pancakes improves the texture but is not necessary. With the base ingredients, flavourings such as essence/extracts—vanilla being the most popular—as well as ground spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and allspice can be added to the batter. The flat pancakes are the more versatile of the two types of pancakes because they can also be topped with fruits as they are cooked, and the batter can include pureed fruits and vegetables such as pumpkin.
A question I get repeatedly about making flat, round, pancakes is whether to make the pancakes as soon as the batter is mixed or to let it rest. You can certainly make the pancakes immediately, however, from my experience, letting the batter rest for at least half an hour or longer, helps it rise higher and makes it fluffier with a tender crumb. Give the batter a gentle stir after it has been resting and start pouring.
If you’d like to try something a little different this year, try this recipe:
Pumpkin Pancakes
INGREDIENTS
● 1¼ cups pumpkin puree (recipe fol lows)
● 2½ cups all-purpose flour
● 3½ teaspoons baking powder
● ½ heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
● ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
● 2 heaped tablespoons sugar
● 1 pinch fine table salt
● Whole milk
● Vegetable oil
For pumpkin puree:
● 1 pound peeled and de-seeded pump
kin cut into 2-inch pieces
● 2 teaspoons oil
DIRECTIONS
For pumpkin puree:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add pumpkin, toss with oil to coat, spread in an even layer and bake for 15 minutes.
3. Puree and set aside to cool completely before using.
For pancakes:
1. Mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, sugar and salt.
2. Add pumpkin puree and enough milk to make a batter of dropping consistency. Cover and set aside for about ½ an hour, or, you can immediately make pancakes.
3. Heat pan over medium heat, drizzle a little oil or melted butter in pan, pour batter to make small or large pancakes. Cook until bubbles and holes appear on the surface, flip with a flat spatula and cook the other side until done (it will be easy to lift from the pan). Place on wire rack and repeat until all the batter is used up. Serve warm with syrup.
NOTE
● The batter can be made a day or 2 ahead but it must be brought up to room temperature and warmer before cooking.
Happy weekend!
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
