What if our friends hate our pancakes? The Thanksgiving morning test…
By the time our inaugural Thanksgiving morning neighborhood brunch came along, I had about 6 years of experience making pancakes.
But what would the neighbors think?
After all, they were not gluten-free…
There was only one way to find out!
But first, let’s go back to when I was about 10 years old
For a few years around when I was 10, my parents were both working full-time – my dad worked days and my mom (a nurse) worked evenings.
During this time, my grandmother stayed with my sis and I…just to have someone there when we got home from school and help out otherwise.
My grandmother could bake like a star. She was so patient and careful with each ingredient.
Anyway, in the mornings, my grandmother would occasionally make us rice for breakfast.
She could somehow transform the plainest of food – rice – into something extraordinary. This wasn’t instant rice…it would take her a good hour to make it.
And one of her secrets was to make the rice using milk…along with some combination of spices and sugar.
Anyway, it was so smooth and thick and delicious…
But how on Earth does this relate to pancakes? She actually never even made pancakes (at least not that I remember!)
Secret Ingredients
Back to Thanksgiving morning pancakes…
So what I use to make these spectacular little gems is Pamelas Gluten-Free Pancake Mix and a few secret ingredients…
The flour is not the secret…although IMHO no other pancake mix comes close.
To make the pancakes, I follow a simple recipe – mostly from the side of the Pamela’s bag.
For a double batch I add the following to a big bowl:
2 eggs
2 generous Tablespoons of olive oil (not the secret – but it may not be what most people use)
Splash of Vanilla (secret ingredient #1)
1 ⅓ cup of liquid split up as follows:
- 1 cup whole milk – or coconut milk(secret ingredient #2)
- ⅓ cup water
2 cups Pamela’s GF Pancake Mix
*add chocolate chips to the batter if you want…
That’s it! A couple of simple secret ingredients. The vanilla adds a nice flavor while the milk thickens the batter more than water would…
The idea to add milk came up because it occurred to me that milk would thicken the batter just like it did with the rice my grandmother used to make. And it works.
But we’re not done yet…
Secret #2: Patience
Just mixing up those ingredients may give you a fluffier pancake…but that’s not what we’re going for here…
We want maximum fluff.
So after the batter is all mixed up ( I just mix it with a fork – and I use a stainless steel bowl)…after it is all mixed, I just set it aside.
At this point, the griddle should be getting warm. I set the griddle to 325 degrees F.
I have an old griddle but I do not grease or use non-stick spray on it for these pancakes. You may have to use some sort of non-stick for your griddle or pan – and that will change the flavor of these pancakes a bit…but do what you have to do.
Be patient with the pancake batter…
My grandmother would spend an hour making a pot of rice…stirring…waiting…adding the right spices. It took a lot of patience (more than I have)…
Anyway, make sure the pancake batter sits for 5 – 10 minutes before you start cooking. That’s not too long but it makes a world of difference.
Once that griddle is a piping hot 325 degrees – then and only then do I start putting pancakes on.
If everything has gone to plan, then when you put the ladle down into the batter, it will be thick and gooey.
Dollop the batter onto the griddle and keep watch on the pancakes…they will need to be flipped rather quickly.
Serve with pure maple syrup
One last little tip is to serve these pancakes with pure maple syrup (get the best deal on it at Costco or Sams Club)
The pancakes looked great. They smelled delicious…with a hint of warm vanilla. And best of all,the neighbors loved them…not just said they loved them…but showed it by eating them all up.
They disappear fast – so make sure you save a couple for yourself 🙂
Give this a try and let me know how it goes in the comments!
In summary
Like most good recipes, fluffy, delicious gluten-free pancakes take a combination of special ingredients along with a little patience.
This recipe works with various gluten-free flours, but Pamela’s GF Pancake Mix is definitely the best in my opinion.
Last but not least, serve with pure maple syrup!
