Let Them Eat (Pan)cakes!

Pancakes: they’re light, they’re fluffy, and they’re all around delicious. Ever put peanut butter and maple syrup together on a pancake? If not, then I regret to inform you of your lack of “having lived.”

Want to know what else is great about pancakes? They don’t have to be sweet. Say what? Yep, pancakes can be savoury too. Even more mind-blowing is that pancakes can be made out of vegetables, such as potatoes, parsnips, and zucchini (a.k.a. fritters)—but more on those another day.

To get the best pancake for your buck, keep in mind the following tips:

• Choose a high quality flour from a health food store or local mill—and make sure it’s fresh.
• Do not over-mix the batter! You’ve probably heard this one before (or was that for muffins?), but it’s a key point. There should be small to medium-sized lumps in the batter. No lumps leads to one dense batch of flapjacks.
• Heat your pan on medium heat, and test the temperature by sprinkling a bit of water on it. The water should sizzle and evaporate.
• Use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of melted butter or oil onto the bottom of the pan. This ensures that just the right amount is used, and your pancakes don’t end up being greasy.
• Keep at least 1 in (2 cm) between cooking pancakes, and remember when pouring the batter that it will spread.
• Flip your pancake once it starts to bubble throughout. Keep in mind that you don’t need to cook it as long on the second side, so keep an eye on it.
• When making fruit pancakes, wait to add the fruit until the batter has been poured into the pan, rather than mixing it in with the giant bowl of batter. This just keeps everything nice and tidy, and keeps blueberries, for example, from making the batter purple.

Craving pancakes now? Have a pancake dinner tonight and try out one of these fool-proof recipes.

• Banana Spelt Pancakes
• Thyme, Tomato, and Corn Pancakes
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Nutty Oatmeal Banana Pancakes
• Hazelnut Hemp Pancakes with Dried Blueberry Sauce
• Savoury Pancakes with Wild Mushrooms and Grains
• Butternut Almond Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Sauce