La Cucina di Nicola: Pancakes

Who doesn't like pancakes? We love them! We make them every Sunday for breakfast, sometimes it is oatmeal pancakes, sometimes it is banana pancakes, but the all time favorite recipe with my son is found in "Muffins and Other Morning Bakes" by Linda Collister.

As many expats know, living in Italy proves to be a challenge to pancake-lovers, as maple syrup, and pancake ready mix are difficult to find. I can not help you with the maple syrup, but this recipe is a winner when it comes to making pancakes from scratch. Nicolas' friends call them: the fluffiest pancakes ever!

PANCAKES

3/4 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
a good pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1 Tablespoon butter, melted, plus extra for cooking
3/4 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon whole milk

Makes 12 pancakes

Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl (do not skip this step, I assure you it makes a difference!) then make a well in the center. Add the egg yolks, butter and milk and beat with a whisk until mixed. Gradually work in the flour to make a very thick but lump-free batter. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the batter with a large metal spoon. (I follow all instructions to the letter, even the "metal spoon" part, as I think helps with the fluffiness.)

Heat a heavy-bottom skillet until medium hot, then grease it lightly with butter. Saute the mixture in batches of 3, using a heaping tablespoon of batter for each pancake. Cook for 1 minute until golden underneath, then turn over with a spatula and cook for another minute. Eat hot with maple syrup (or Nutella in our house.)

Enjoy!

PS. I forgot to take pictures, so I will take some this coming Sunday...