When I was younger, the best breakfast I could have on a Sunday morning was pancakes. Although the pre-packaged pancake mix from the grocery store was delicious, it could never compare to the soft, light, and fluffy homemade batter that could easily be made in less than twenty minutes. As soon as I was old enough to be able to explore the kitchen and stir up my own recipes, I immediately got my milk, flour, and eggs to make pancakes! We all know that waffles taste better than pancakes, but have you ever considered turning waffle batter into pancakes? 

Things you will need: 

• 2 cups all purpose flour 
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 cup whole milk 
• ½ cup buttermilk 
• ½ stick butter 
• ½ tsp vanilla extract 
• 2 eggs (separated)
• ⅓ cup sugar 

Directions: 

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and form a well in the center
2. In the well, add the wet ingredients and the egg yolks (not the egg whites) 
3. Whisk the batter slightly until it’s all mixed together. Do not overmix. 
4. Add the egg whites to a mixer and beat until foamy 
5. While continuing to mix it gradually add the sugar. Continue mixing until you see soft peaks. (If you do not gradually add the sugar they won’t fluff up properly.) 
6. Add the egg whites to the batter and mix until just combined
7. Heat a pan with melted butter and put the desired amount of batter on the pan and cook on each side until golden brown. 
8. Serve warm with fruit, butter, maple syrup, and whipped cream! 

Everything starts with a simple yet flavorful batter. You don’t want it to be too thick, because that will result in possibly undercooked pancakes. Too runny, and the pancakes won’t fluff up to give you the melt in your mouth bites. To test the batter for if it has reached the correct consistency, I use the ladle method. In this testing method, grab a ladle and get a spoonful of batter. Lift up the ladle and pour the batter back into your bowl, and if it is running slowly and nicely off your ladle it’s ready to go! And keep in mind that a few lumps here and there in the batter will do no harm to your pancakes. 

Many pancake recipes recommend a griddle or a skillet. I have tried all of the different pans and I personally taste no difference in the pancake when cooked over a certain pan. So if a recipe ever asks for a specific pan, feel free to use whichever one you have at home.

 An ingredient that most pancake recipes contain is buttermilk. When I first started baking, every time a recipe required buttermilk I simply never made it until I found out how simple it is to make a buttermilk substitute. When making a buttermilk substitute, remember what I like to call the one-to-one rule. One cup of milk needs one tablespoon of lemon juice to be a buttermilk substitute. Gently stir these two ingredients together and wait about five minutes to let the mixture slightly curdle. If you happen to not have lemons there are plenty of other substitutes such as vinegar, cream of tartar, and plain yogurt that you could use. In my experience, the vinegar and lemon substitutes work the best with pancakes. 

So what makes these ultimate pancakes “ultimate?” One day I made waffle batter and decided that I was too lazy to clean the waffle machine. So my other solution was to cook them on a stovetop! When I tasted these (now) pancakes I decided that this was the recipe that I would use for the rest of my life. This recipe is one that can never go wrong. If you ever need to impress your family make them these pancakes and top them with some fresh whipped cream and fruit to elevate its look.