The Floured Apron

The first time I made pancakes was like that episode of Friends where Monica wants to make the best chocolate chip cookies. Phoebe’s family’s secret recipe (which turns out to be from the side of the Tollhouse chocolate chip bag) burned up when Phoebe’s apartment caught fire, and Monica makes twenty batches trying to recreate it. When she gives up, she says something along the lines of, “So I won’t be the Mom who makes the best chocolate chip cookies…but I make the best duck confit. Kids like that, right?” My first few attempts at pancakes had me convinced that my future kids would never know the joys of Pancake Morning. They were that bad: flat, bland and unevenly cooked. I gave it a good effort, trying several recipes three or four times, and gave up.

But then, a couple of weeks ago, John decided he wanted pancakes. He turned, as he usually does, to Alton Brown. Even if AB’s recipe doesn’t turn out to be the ultimate, it’s always a good starting point. This time, Alton outdid himself. The pancakes John made were perfect. They were the quintessential plate of pancakes, like you would get at your favorite breakfast place. Light, fluffy, perfect vehicles for maple syrup. I would go so far as to say that these are the best pancakes I’ve ever had. This is a wonderful change in our house. Suddenly, we can have amazing pancakes whenever we want. Like, say, for dinner tonight!

Buttermilk Pancakes

Alton Brown I’m Just Here For More Food

Note: We ran out of flour the first time we made these and had to use 1 1/2 cups of all purpose and 1/2 cups of cake flour. We liked them so much that we that we’ve stuck with it. We make big plate-sized ones and get about four, but AB says you would get twelve 4-inch pancakes.

Ingredients

Preparation

Heat an electric griddle to 350 or place a nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat.

Pulse the first five ingredients together in a food processor. Whisk the last three ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until the batter comes together. Don’t overmix!

Set the batter aside to rest for five minutes.

Add the extra butter to your pan, just enough to coat, and ladle the batter in to form whatever size pancakes you want. Cook until bubbles form and the bottom is golden, approximately 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden, another 2 minutes or so. Adjust the heat as necessary as you go along. Serve immediately or keep them warm in a 200 degree oven.