I love pancakes. I make the kind where you basically make a yorkshire pudding batter, poor into a frying pan and swirl it around so it covers the bottom. When its cooked role a delicious filling inside.
However, i have a vague memory of a different kind when i visited America (bearing in mind this was ages ago) and have seen them on American T.V. shows. They’re a lot smaller, maybe about 5 inches across and are served on top of each other.
Ive tried searching on the internet, but the recipes don’t really make sense- since when was ‘cup’ a standard form of measurement? surely there are all different shapes and sizes of cups?
Anyway, i would love a tried, tested and easy to follow recipe please as i know most people on the board are American, or lying about it. If possible, an explanation for this crazy cup rule would be nice as I’ve seen it in other recipes on the internet too.
I never make pancakes, and my family uses boxed mixes anyway, but I can tell you that one cup is eight fluid ounces, or 236.6 milliliters, which is the unit I’m assuming you use when cooking. Other volume measurements you might see in American recipes are a teaspoon (a little under five mL) and a tablespoon (three teaspoons, or 14.8 mL.) Google’s got a handy calculator function for conversions like this; an example is here
Wow. It never occurred to me that “cup” wasn’t a universal measurement. I mean, it makes perfect sense that it isn’t, I just never thought about it.
Here’s a definition of a cup from this site : "a traditional unit of volume used in recipes in the United States. One cup equals 1/2 (liquid) pint, or 8 fluid ounces. Technically, one cup equals exactly 14.4375 cubic inches or approximately 236.6 milliliters, not that anyone measures quite so precisely in the kitchen. American cooks use the same size cup for measuring both liquid and dry substances. In Canada, a cup is equal to 8 Imperial fluid ounces (13.8710 cubic inches or 227.3 milliliters). In Britain, cooks sometimes used a similar but larger unit called the breakfast cup, equal to 10 Imperial fluid ounces. "
As for pancakes, plain ol’ pancakes are just okay. You should probably buy some real maple syrup for 'em. Real maple syrup really makes the difference. Some varieties of pancakes include gingerbread, blueberry (and other various fruits), chocolate chip. These things are mixed in the batter, not rolled as a filling. In fact I have a mix for apple cinnamon in my pantry right now.
My favorite is yeast cakes. Easier than it sounds, plus that lovely yeasty flavor of fresh bread.
I make mine with my own private measurements, so it’s hard to share the “recipe,” but [EMAIL=http://busycooks.about.com/od/yeastbreads/r/makeaheadwaffle.htm]here’s one that looks like it works.
I toss my begrediments together the night before, leave in the fridge overnight, then have fresh yeasty pancakes in the morning. Apricot jam and orgasms for breakfast.
Mmmmm pancakes. Don’t forget to put butter on them before the syrup
Personally, I prefer blueberry syrup over maple, but I’m a bit of a weirdo sometimes. If you’re in a hurry, you can just grab a pancake or two and munch on it, or roll a sausage up in it for a breakfast pig in a blanket.
My favorite is yeast cakes. Easier than it sounds, plus that lovely yeasty flavor of fresh bread.
I make mine with my own private measurements, so it’s hard to share the “recipe,” but [EMAIL=http://busycooks.about.com/od/yeastbreads/r/makeaheadwaffle.htm]here’s one that looks like it works. The stovetop complication is just to give the yeast some warm liquids to get started in. I use the microwave for like 15 seconds to do the same thing. Really, this recipe is no more complicated than regular pancakes, you just make it the night before.
I toss my begrediments together the night before, leave in the fridge overnight, then have fresh yeasty pancakes in the morning. Apricot jam and orgasms for breakfast.
Yes. They can be smaller than that (usually not larger) and are sometimes (but by no means always) stacked. But they’re not rolled around a filling, they just have some butter and maple syrup (or whatever) put on top of them.
We mostly make them using pancake mix
A cup is a standard measure here- it’s not just any cup grabbed out of the cupboard. One US cup is about 240 milliliters.
I’ve heard that some Brits measure ingredients by weight (is that true?). Except for extreme foodies (like Alton Brown), Americans mostly measure all our ingredients by volume (or at least that’s how everybody I know does it, and how every cookbook I’ve ever used has done measurements).
You guys do use teaspoons and tablespoons to measure ingredients, right?
The humble ‘cup’ is a common cooking measure here in Australia, which last time I checked was in the Commonwealth. Whether ours are the same size as the US one I know not, but I’ve never thought of it as an American thing, and I’m surprised it’s not used in the UK.
As for there being “cups of all sizes”, you can buy proper plastic measuring cups with gradients up the side, but I don’t own one. However, I know in my head what size a standard cooking ‘cup’ is, and I just grab a tea cup that looks ‘about right’*. This method hasn’t failed me yet.
*Usually one of the smaller ones (that come with a saucer), and never a mug or anything like that.
I don’t think they’re the same. I think an Australian cup is about 250 milliliters, and ours are about 240.
I just found out that Brits do use teaspoons and tablespoons, but they’re not the same as ours. Our teaspoon is about 5 milliliters (according to one site, a British teaspoon is about 6 milliliters), and our tablespoon is three of our teaspoons.
Or you can buy Pyrex glass ones. We have a lot of those, and it seems they’re always in the dishwasher.
No, the “US customary units” are different from the “Imperial” (UK) units. UK fluid ounce = 28.4 mL and US fluid ounce (29.6 mL), for example. More info here.
Or are you saying the US has two systems, “customary” and “traditional”?
Here’s a yummy recipe for potato pancakes I often make in winter:
HOT POTATO PANCAKES WITH BACON
Ingredients:
500g floury potatoes, peeled
125mL (half cup) milk, heated
3 eggs, separated
100g self-raising flour, sifted
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 extra egg white
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
8 thin, rindless bacon rashers
4 tbsp maple syrup
Cook the potatoes in simmering salted water for 20 minutes or until they are tender. Drain them well and return them to the pan. Mash them well, beating in the hot milk, then allow them to cool.
Beat the 3 whole egg yolks and mix them lightly into the mashed potato mixture. Add the sifted flour, salt and pepper and mix well. Whisk the 4 egg whites in a separate bowl until they are stiff and peaky, then gently fold the whites into the potato mixture.
Heat a little of the olive oil and butter in a non-stick pan until melted. Add the batter by the tablespoonful, and cook for about 2 minutes on either side or until lightly golden. Keep warm while you cook the remaining potato pancakes. Grill or fry the bacon rashers until they’re crisp, and drain them on a paper towel. Stack two or more pancakes on each warmed plate and top with bacon rashers. Drizzle with maple syrup.