I loveeeeee pancakes. Seriously, I cannot get enough of them. My mom used to make pancakes most weekends when we were growing up (my favorite topping was lemon and sugar, ate outside for reasons discussed here), and now my boyfriend alternates between cooking me a fry-up and his amazing crepes on visit weekends. I know, I’m such a lucky girl! It does mean though that on weekends where I’m all alone, I miss my pancake fix. Not anymore!
I’ve managed to come up with a recipe for fluffy, light, flavoursome American pancakes, in just the right serving for a (greedy) single person. So many of the recipes I found serve two, and I’m not quite that greedy. This recipe makes around 8 small pancakes – trust me they are quite small, this isn’t just a giant plate!
For the photos here I’ve made a nutella stack – sandwiching each pancake with a splodge of nutella. The effect was chocolatey and stodgy – just what I needed whilst recovering from the flu and moping about after visiting my girls in Canterbury the day before. I’ve had these drizzled with honey too, and they were just as delicious. Keep an eye out for a fruity version soon too!
Now, I make this recipe by eye, straight into the jug (anything to reduce washing up!) so here we go; Grab a 1/2 pint jug, crack and beat an egg. Top up with milk to between 150 and 200ml. Whisk in 2.5 tablespoons of plain flour, and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. You want a really thick, but still pourable, batter – add more milk/flour as necessary. Some recipes add a little sugar to the batter, or some melted butter. I’d rather save the calories for the topping.
Melt a teeny bit of butter in a frying pan, and pour in a small amount of batter. It spreads surprisingly far for being so thick! Fry over a relaitvely high heat until the upside is lightly bubbling, and no longer gooey looking – but don’t let the underside burn! Flip over and continue cooking for a few seconds, until both sides are golden. Transfer to a plate, and keep warm in a low oven.
If you’re making a nutella stack, spread each pancake with a little nutella before popping in the oven.
There you have it – the perfect American pancakes for one. I’m itching to try these with maple syrup and bacon, but I reckon that will have to wait for a date brunch!
So, do you like pancakes? More importantly, what’s your topping of choice?!
