Well, not the pig of course.
What you need:
- a box of COMPLETE pancake mix
- a frying pan
- measuring cups (dry and liquid)
- a small knife or chopstick
- whisk or fork
- spatula
- large bowl
- water
- butter or spray oil
- optional: chocolate chips, blueberries, strawberry slices
Step 1: Gather your stuff
Make sure you have everything ready. It makes this so much easier. Now, I put the words complete in caps for a reason. If you get a box of pancake mix that does not say “complete” then you have to deal with eggs and oil. Give yourself a break and get the box that says “just add water!” and just add water.
A word about measuring cups. YES YOU NEED TO HAVE BOTH KINDS! If you measure water in those metal or plastic dry measure cups you won't have the right amount. You need a glass or plastic liquid measure as well. More on this later, but just do what I say for this. At this point, as far as you're concerned, I'm the goddess of cooking. Bow, mortal.
Step 2: Grab the box and follow the instructions.
It's box pancakes, this isn't rocket science. Use your dry measure cups to measure out how much of the mix you need. Use the knife or the chop stick to level off the excess dry mix back into the bag. Dump what you have left in the measuring cup into the large bowl.
Use cold water – I don't know why, just do it. Measure out the water in the liquid measure jug and add to the dry mix. Grab your whisk and whisk it up! According to IHOP (the International House of Pancakes – which I haven't seen in Great Brittan, France or Italy so how international can it be?) you should leave a few lumps in it because it makes things taste better. I haven't noticed this at all in the 15 years I've been making pancakes.
If you want, you can do this is a sizable Tupperware container so you can save what you don't use.
Step 3: You do not need a gimmick to make pancakes, no matter what TV tells you
You ever see this thing? Ever see the commercial for it? You'd think these people couldn't get dressed in the morning without help. It's pathetic. Let me just say that, even though most of you reading this are beginners, I'm willing to bet that none of you are as retarded as the actors in the video for this pan. I wish I could find the commercial to link it here. If anyone can send me the link I'd love you for life. Well, a week maybe.
Heat your pan on about medium, medium-high. Butter or spray the pan. Just enough to coat it, If you have good Teflon pans you won't have to keep oiling it. If your pans suck, use the grease. To check if the pan is hot enough, sprinkle a few drops of water in the pan. If they pop and hop, you're good to go.
Pour about ¼ cup of batter (I use the ¼ dry measure for this) into the heated oiled pan. The first pancake is always the most crappy looking because the pan hasn't heated up and there's not a base of oil.
This is a good time to add whatever fruit or chocolate chips you want. Push them down a bit so they get a little more coverage of batter. When you see little holes where the bubbles were, you can flip it over (aprox 2 min).
Faster is better because there is less time for batter to shift and drip on things. Give it another minute or so to finish, then scoop it up and let it cook on a spare plate.
Batter, rinse, repeat. If your cakes are looking a but burned, turn down the heat. A lot of people, including me, have trouble with controlling the heat. So don't feel bad if a couple are a little too well done.
If you want to throw some bacon on as well, it's better if you cook that either in a separate pan or before you start the pancakes. Pancakes will get cold faster than bacon will cook. The instructions on the back of the box are fine, but there are some points that are not stress. I hope this entry clears up a few things.
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