Perfectly Tender Pancakes

You can find Potato starch at most health food stores and I was surprised to see it recently in the "Greenwise" aisle of our local Publix.

Personal pancake preferences can get pretty complicated: thick, thin, large, silver dollar, buttermilk, buckwheat, blueberry, chocolate chip...it goes on and on. But here in our house, light and tender pancakes rule (at least for Evan. I haven't had much luck creating a light gluten-free version yet). Happily, I recently came across the perfect recipe in "Gale Gand's Brunch!".


Tender Pancakes
(Gale Gand's Brunch)

2/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Potato Starch
1 Tablespoon Sugar
3/8 Teaspoon Salt
1 & 1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1 Large Egg
1 Cup Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
Unsalted Butter, for cooking
(I like to add 1 teaspoon of Vanilla or Almond extract)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, potato starch, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with a fork and then mix in the milk and oil. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon, leaving plenty of lumps. Transfer the batter to a pitcher with a pour spout.

Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium heat (you may want to turn it down to medium-low after you've cooked a few pancakes). Melt 1 teaspoon butter on it (add more butter, 1 teaspoon at a time, as you continue cooking and the griddle starts to get dry). Heat the butter until it foams. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of the batter onto the griddle to make each pancake, leaving space in between for spreading. When the top of each pancake has stopped bubbling and no longer looks wet and the underside is lightly browned (about 3 minutes), flip the pancake and cook it on the other side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately, or keep warm on a plate in a 200-degree oven.

I make these at least twice a week for Evan's breakfast. Just halve the recipe to serve one person. I prefer making one large pancake since I'm lazy practical and don't have a griddle or large non-stick pan.

I hope you give them a try!