PANCAKES
Makes about 10 (6-inch) pancakes
A recipe for the ideal pancake (tender, fluffy, golden brown, barely sweet) will get you only halfway there—making them still takes some practice. Learning when to stop mixing, when the pan is ready for the batter, how to drop the batter to get a round shape, when to flip, and when to remove the pancake from the pan might take a few tries. But, once you’ve mastered it, you can spoil everyone on your vacation by waking up a little early to get these started.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Maple syrup, for serving (optional)
- Salted butter, at room temperature, f0r serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together gently. When the batter is still a bit lumpy, stir in the melted butter with a few strokes of the whisk, then let the batter sit for 10 minutes at room temperature while the baking powder activates and the remaining lumps dissolve (see note #1).
Lightly grease a griddle or sauté pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat (see note #2). Test the cooking surface with a dime-size amount of pancake batter. If the bottom cooks in a few seconds, then you’re ready to make pancakes.
Ladle out approximately 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. The pancakes are ready to flip when small bubbles start to form on the top surface. Flip the pancakes and continue cooking until they’re firm to the touch and golden on both sides.
Stack the pancakes into a giant tower à la Shel Silverstein. Serve “good little Grace” the one on top and save the middle pancake for “terrible Theresa.” Top with maple syrup and butter.
Note #1: You’re trying to bring these ingredients together as gently as possible to avoid overworking the batter and ending up with pancakes that are tough or chewy rather than soft and tender.
Note #2: You can use butter or canola oil to cook the pancakes, but nonstick cooking spray will give you the easiest and most consistent results.
The Night Before: Whisk together the dry ingredients and store in a covered bowl or freezer bag.
Kindness & Salt
by Ryan Angulo
by Doug Crowell
Brooklyn restaurateurs Doug Crowell and Ryan Angulo believe that every great meal starts with two essential elements: kindness and salt. Kindness is the spirit of warmth and hospitality that underlies every meal at their restaurants. Salt is shorthand for cooking carefully and bringing out the best in your ingredients. The combination of the two can elevate even a quick meal into a special occasion.
In their first cookbook, Crowell and Angulo share more than 100 recipes for the dishes and drinks that draw passionate fans from around the corner and around the globe. Here you'll find the Pecan Pie French Toast and Bloody Marys that Brooklyn lines up for, the perfect Steak Frites, and the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Cheddar Waffles that the New York Times pronounced "the best in NYC." Plus, they've included a guide to putting together a home bar and inventing your own signature cocktails, and tips for choosing, serving, and pairing cheese, wines, beers, and ciders.
In Kindness & Salt Crowell and Angulo expertly guide cooks through the preparation of simple, satisfying bistro meals at home, using techniques refined in their restaurants over ten busy years.
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use