a couple of breakfasts

In between shaving off our fingertips and sanding till our hands cramp up, Dan and I have been trying to make some breakfasts for dinner.  And I'm pleased to say, they've actually gone surprisingly well. 

The first breakfast we made was from Alton Brown's pancake mix.  The pancakes were really good, not too thin.  Although I did feel like they seemed a little doughy in the center.  Maybe we need to put in more leavener? Or maybe the heat should be up a bit higher next time? Luckily, the mix lasts for 3 months and we still have enough for two more batches, so we'll have at least two more tries to figure it out.

Next time I'll try increasing the heat to 375 and maybe waiting until the pancakes have bubbles in the middle to flip them.  That seems to be the normal protocol.  Also, the recipe claims to yield 12 pancakes, but we got 10...really fewer than that because the last two were really small.  So maybe I would try to make them smaller from the get-go.  Or maybe try to think out the batter a bit, so it would spread more.  

Here's the recipe from foodnetwork.com

The Dry Ingredients:

6 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp baking powder

1 tbs kosher salt

2 tbs sugar

The recipe says to combine all of these ingredients into a container with a lid and shake to mix...make sure the container is big enough! I also think maybe we didn't mix the ingredients well enough, because the container we used was barely big enough to fit all the ingredients. 

Wet Ingredients to Add to 2 Cups of the Mix:

2 eggs, separated

2 cups buttermilk

4 tbs melted butter

1 stick butter to grease pan

2 cups fruit, if desired

Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.

Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.

Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface.

Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)

Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 pancakes