My husband and I see eye-to-eye on most things, but pancakes is not one of them.
I am pro fruit and he is anti-fruit.
If you ask me, adding bits of fruit inside of pancakes is just about the only thing that can make them better than they already are. Blueberry pancakes? Please! Apple pancakes? Don't mind if I do. Banana pancakes? Bring me a dozen, garcon!
If you ask my husband, fruit should be safely on the outside of the pancake. Perhaps in a bowl as a refreshing side, but it could be all the way on the other side of the room for all he cares. As long as it's not in his pancakes.
I believe his views are backward at best and he believes that he should be able to enjoy his fruitless pancakes in peace (without my commentary). It's an impasse. But since he does not currently live with me, I can make all the fruit pancakes I want. So there!
Notes: I experimented with two different ways of adding in the fruit: one where I add the fruit to each pancake after it was in the pan and one where I mixed the fruit with the batter. I preferred the former method. The pancakes were less doughy around the bits of fruit. If you have a favorite way of adding fruit, by all means I'm open to suggestions.
Hear me when I say that you do not want to skip the cinnamon. I learned this trick from my brother-in-law. You don't actually taste the cinnamon, but you can tell the pancake has a deeper and more interesting flavor. Everyone will wonder why your pancakes taste so much better than the ones they make at home. It will be our secret.
Now, here's the thing: I suck at making pancakes. I wish I was kidding, but when I make them, I almost always have to throw out the first two and probably one in the middle. They don't come out right! They're too light or I can't manage to flip them correctly. So, if you screw up a few, you're not alone. This batch will make enough for two people, unless you're like me and then it's enough for three correct pancakes and three jacked-up pancakes.
Ingredients:
1 cup of "instant" pancake mix (recipe follows)
1 egg
2 tablespoons of melted butter, plus more non-melted butter for the pan
1 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 cup of pomegranate seeds (or as much as you like in your pancakes)
Directions:
First of all, melt your two tablespoons of butter. You'll want it to cool off before you make the mix. I just heat mine in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Crack your egg into a mixing bowl and beat it just slightly. Add in your milk. Once your melted butter is cool, add it in and whisk the liquids together. Add in the dry mix and the cinnamon. Whisk it all together until most of the lumps are gone, but don't fret about getting it perfect.
Heat your skillet. You want it on medium-high: not hot enough to where the pancakes brown too quickly, but hot enough so that the pancakes don't spread too much. Once it's hot, take a pat of butter in a paper towel and coat the bottom of the skillet. Then use another paper towel to wipe out the excess butter (this is key to getting the nice even brown).
Use a ladle to add the batter to the pan. You know it's time to flip the pancake when big bubbles rise to the top and start to burst. The edges of the pancakes will also start to look a little dry. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top of the batter and then flip it over. Cook for another 30 seconds or so until the pancake puffs up a bit. Repeat until your have reached your desired number of pancakes.
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| This is technically bottom side up, but I wanted you to see the pomegranate seeds. |
Add your favorite pancake topping and enjoy!
"Instant" Pancake Mix
You can make about 3 batches of pancakes with this. It's adapted from
Alton Brown's recipe and his makes WAY more. So if you have room to keep a big batch, use his measurements.
3 cups spelt flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
Mix all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.
