Pancake Challenge: Day 13

Happy 2013 on Day 13!

Aebleskivers - original style.

These are the straight up Scandinavian version - with cardamom, cinnamon & nutmeg - just as they should be.  And the generous full 1/8th cup filling the pan holes to make unbelievably spherical aebelskivers.

And the boy helped.

It was big batch:

Make sure to pack the brown sugar properly.

Sometimes the egg cracking goes a bit awry:

but the egg comes out anyway...
even if there is a little shell fishing at the end

And when you use what seems like almost too much batter - they come out these perfect little globes!

Cake-y inside, crispy outside.
All they need is powdered sugar
or jam
or syrup
or cranberry curd
or...

Pancake Challenge: Day 12

Name Pancakes

Important note about raising (a) child(ren):  Get help.  Lean on family, and if you don't have one, make one.  Same for friends.
Then you have more energy to be there for your kid(s) and later on, for your friends and family, rather than going out hard at the start and burning out spectacularly (or even slowly and insidiously).

And in that spirit...

I have a guest pancake maker today (and maybe for a few more days).  Gramma S - one of T's 4!  Lucky BOY!

And now;

The secrets of the best name pancakes.

1.

Write the letters backwards,
so when you flip them over...

2.

they are right-way-'round.

(I admit E is funny, because I photographed
sorta' upside down.)  And A is always correct.
A great lesson in symmetry, Name Pancakes are.    

3.

Apply the Topping-of-Your-Choice.

3a. No pressure.  Of course on photographing day the Name Pancakes proved a bit runny and misshapen.  But who cares?  They are still tasty as heck!

Pancake Challenge: Day 10

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

In my world, they must always be accompanied with
Strawberry Butter.
(psst...  That'll be in my cookbook)

"You can't expect me to choose a boyfriend right away, that would be like eating the first
pancake off the stove. You have to feed one to the dog." - Quinn Morgendorffer

Totally random conversation tag:

A: So do you know the physics or chemistry or whatever as to why the first pancake always turns out that way?

Me: It's just impatience.  Almost no one can wait long enough to put the first pancake on the stove.  So, it's more biochemistry.

A: Behavioral psychology?

Pancake Challenge: Day 9

Lacy Cornmeal Pancakes

If you are a fan of fried cornmeal... these are for you.

If you have no idea what fried cornmeal tastes like, you are missing something, and these are a GREAT way to try it with out having to mess with catfish, deep fryers and onions (see "hushpuppies") or egg wash.

Basically cornmeal, milk, a bit of fat, salt, baking powder and a dash of flour.  I'm betting these will covert to gluten free... but I'll have to test them before I give them a stamp of approval.

In the meantime thin, fried cornmeal pancakes.  I approve.  And will have one more.

The "lacy" comes from the bubbly fried edges.
I should have made them even thinner, and they'd have been
lacy all the way through.
Mmmm fried cornmeal in bacon fat next time.

Pancake Challenge: Day 8

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I have been informed under no uncertain terms:
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes
are best enjoyed with a glass of milk.
Apparently powdered sugar is optional - not necessary

Needed to come back strong.

2 Tips:


You can make anything
chocolatey by replacing
1/4 to 1/8 of the flour
with cocoa powder

But - under no circumstances
can you forget the sugar
(or some sweetener) and
the vanilla - or it'll just taste
oddly dirty (dare I say...
earthy?)





Other cooking with chocolate trivial note.  Cocoa powder/chocolate can work without the sugar+vanilla boost in savory applications - but usually some sweet(ish) element is essential for the success - from a vegetable, fatty or fruit source, and some other aromatic flavor(s) that highlights a different aspect of chocolate needs to be there if you are going to go to the trouble of putting it in.

Pancake Challenge: Day 4

Inspired by our trip to Amsterdam, I went with the Dutch, all purpose, any meal, pancake.  These are part of what made traveling in Holland SO easy with a kid.  Pancakes time is anytime - anywhere. Available for any meal.

And the Dutch relationship with pancakes makes me think of mischievous kids would do if given the chance of making their dream pancakes....

"Let's put fruit in them."
"And then after we eat those, we could make some with bacon and onions."
"And cheese, lets put cheese in too."
"And lets make them as big as the plate!"
"Yeah!"

And you can put powdered sugar on ALL of them!

Enough powdered sugar means different things to different people!

I would have made bigger ones (they make MUCH bigger ones in Amsterdam), but right now my only good pan for pancakes is the smaller one.

I coulda' made a bigger one on the griddle, but I might not have been able to flip it. 

Pancake Challenge: Day 3

After the mereingue dragon cookie fiasco, ("Dad! You ate my solstice dragon's head?!?!") reparations were desired.

So this morning it was dragon shaped pancakes.

Dragon Face & Flying Dragon (it's impressionistic)

I decided to try a pancake that was all crispy edges.

Success made even more successful with bacon and Cranberry Curd!
My new favorite flavor for breakfast!
(Thanks Susan!!!)

Pancake Challenge: Day 2

Today I have a guest poster - the brain child (literally) behind the 14 day pancake challenge.

Me whisking an egg.

Sizzling blueberry pancakes.

The delicious blueberries in the pancakes have a
sweet and sour taste and a soft texture.

Me: So was day 2 a good pancake day?

T: Yes!  Yes it was.

I have Zucchini in the freezer... Now What?!

Ever had Huevos Rancheros? Know how the gummy tortilla always kills the love?

For this - and for so many other reasons, it is time to embark on the Zucchini-Potato Pancake.

Much like the traditional potato pancake it has the crispy edges, the soft inside, but the zucchini works it's magic and makes it something entirely new. Suddenly zucchini under everything is a great, GREAT idea. And the subtle sweetness of the zucchini means you can monkey with the spices and make it sweet or savory. Breakfast through Dinner! (I concede... dessert might be pushing it. Wait for the Mexican Chocolate Zucchini bread.)

In fact this is the Very First original zucchini recipe that made my husband dive in head first.

So get out the salad spinner, the food processor and a cast iron skillet (or other heavy bottomed 8" - 12" pan that is NOT non-stick. Browning is IMPORTANT here).

Ingredients: (for the very BASIC version)

1C Grated Zucchini (thawed and spun/drained if coming from the freezer)

1 C Grated Potato (Waxy or Medium... NOT FLOURY. This means little yellow or red Thin Skinned potatoes. Russets will make something different) Drain this by giving it a spin too.

1/2 Grated Yellow Onion - you guessed it... spin it too!

about 1/4 cup flour or other granulated starch (potato flour, arrowroot starch etc. for my NO GLUTEN friends)

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg beaten

1 Tbs oil for your skillet

***See bottom of Post for variations***

How To:

Get everything grated and spun. Mix together all the vegetable matter. Mix together the flour (or other starch) and the salt. Sprinkle on the veg. mixture. Toss it around gently with your hands, making sure the flour(etc.) gets everywhere.

Heat up the skillet - about 3 min - over med-high heat. Then add the oil and heat 1 more min - until oil gets hot enough to sizzle a shred of something.

While the pan is heating, break the egg in a small bowl, lightly beat it - just to get it all stirred up - pour over the zucchini & etc. Stir in gently, but quickly with a fork or your hands.

As soon as the pan is ready, make pancakes the size you want - from silver-dollar-sized to the whole pan. Just make sure they are no more than 1/4" thick.

Keep an eye on it (you can even peek underneath). When the bottom begins to get golden brown - FLIP! When they are golden brown in crispy on the bottom too... they are done!

Eat some as soon as they are cool with black pepper.

Eat the rest however you want. I would suggest with Garlic & Mint Yogurt Cheese, or Basil Vinaigrette, or w/ Green Tomatillo Salsa, or under Huevos Rancheros, or as a side to Fajitas....

OK, stopping now.

This recipe can be doubled, tripled and so on... just so long as you do the flour and egg adding in batches. Also, when you run low on oil, add some more to the pan so you keep getting that nice browning. Then when you have made as many as you can stand...

These can be cooled and frozen, stored in a nice airtight container, then toasted in your toaster. You look like a genius.

Next Time... time out for Yogurt Cheese (AT LAST!)

***Variations***

Add sweet onion instead of yellow onion, nutmeg and cardamom (about 1/4 tsp each) for a breakfast version.

Grate some jalapeno in with the onion, and top with lime juice for pairing with Mexican dishes.

Grate in some cornichons - or even good ol' dill pickles and top with tuna salad.

Sprinkle some smoked paprika, cumin and tumeric into the flour mixture and serve w/ Spanish or North African dishes.

And on & on & on!