Pancake day and mine were awful, again!

[Praying Colonel]

Ok, I just don't understand the lump thing. I have NEVER had the lumps cook out into anything but little pockets of dry ingredients. Bread, pancakes, muffins - any recipe that says that. I don't get it, that they are supposed to cook out.

I think there's a sweet spot between not sufficiently mixed and lumpless. It's a feel thing. I usually use a whisk and count to 10 and see where I am, and usually stop before I think I need to. I end up with some lumps but not what appears to be a perfectly-combined batter. Overmixing can result in thick, chewy pancakes.

Here are some articles that discuss it:

5 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Making Pancakes

The Scientific Secret of Fluffy Pancakes (from Scientific American!)

Alton Brown on pancakes (note that he says in his recipe he stirs 12 times, then walks away )

 

[wenrob]

Inspired by this thread. I think we'll have lemon and poppyseed pancakes with a cream cheese drizzle for dinner tonight.

 

[MamaBelle4]

Inspired by this thread. I think we'll have lemon and poppyseed pancakes with a cream cheese drizzle for dinner tonight.

YUM

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I like adding banana to my pancakes personally.

ETA my DH uses peanut butter and syrup on his pancakes. It is actually pretty tasty.

My dad used to put peanut butter IN the batter. It gave the pancakes a really good crust. Then he would spread jelly on them and wrap then around a sausage link. It sounds so gross but it was delicious!

 

[DLgal]

Ok, I just don't understand the lump thing. I have NEVER had the lumps cook out into anything but little pockets of dry ingredients. Bread, pancakes, muffins - any recipe that says that. I don't get it, that they are supposed to cook out.

The key is to whisk vigorously for about 10 passes, to break up the lumps and then mix slowly to make sure everything is combined, scraping up the bottom and sides. Your batter should have lumps about the size of small peas, but no larger. If you mix too slowly, you'll have large lumps that won't cook out. Use a large whisk, not a spoon.

 

[Prose]

We use the Jiffy brand muffin mixes (the really cheap ones) to make pancakes - I think we usually use two boxes. My favorite are the raspberry. They are sweeter, but end up with a nice crispiness.

 

[clutter]

Yeah, I've had the peas, and it still ends up with pea-sized glomps of flour. Maybe I should be thinking Le Soeur sized peas.

 

[Erzengel]

We use Krusteaz just add water. They always turn out great. It's cheap to buy a huge bag at Costco. Sams used to carry it, but they switched to another brand.

My oldest DS really prefers carbon's golden malted pancake and waffle mix. I've heard it's what they use at Disney. It's also what they use in the restaurant where DS is a cook so he's used to it. You have to add milk and eggs. And weirdly at his restaurant they also add Sierra Mist to the batter. I think that is the strangest thing! I can never find that brand in a store so I have to order it online.

I use Carbon's Golden for our waffles.

I don't try it with pancakes as I only eat pancakes when I'm out. Waffles at home.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I use Carbon's Golden for our waffles.

I don't try it with pancakes as I only eat pancakes when I'm out. Waffles at home.

That is the best! I have to order some more, thanks for the reminder!

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

It would be impossible to make bad pancakes doing this:
1. Use an electric griddle, pre-heated to very high. You can buy these for as little as $19.
2. Grease the surface with butter just before pouring the batter. Even though the surface will be non-stick, butter adds flavor.
3. Use the recipe on the Bisquick box (I use the heart-healthy kind and it's still good.) BUT, substitute buttermilk for regular milk, and don't worry about measuring that perfectly. Just add the milk until the batter is as thin as you want it. As long as it's within a reasonable range, thick-ish or thin-ish, the pancakes will be good. If you're worried, aim for thicker, make one or two, and if you need to, just add more buttermilk next time around.
4. Flip only when the bottom has browned to your desired level. Just don't undercook.
5. Serve hot off the griddle.
I swear, you don't have to worry about these!