Karl’s Orange Infused Pancakes

Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe

Note: I have been so busy with the holidays and posting big festival meals that some little gems have gone begging.

As much as I like to cook, breakfasts have not been a high priority for me. My secret sin is that my morning pancakes have always come from a box. Two months ago, my family woke up wanting pancakes and my cupboard was bare. Time to learn how to make them from scratch—“To the bat-internet!”

I found an easy Martha Stewart recipe, which of course I changed. Making pancakes from scratch turned out to be surprisingly simple and it takes only a very few minutes longer than making them from a box. Daughter Eilene now call them, “The good pancakes” and I have made them several times now.

Karl’s Orange Infused Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup AP flour
2 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free, preferred)
½ tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tbs. Karl’s Orange Infused Sugar

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg
1 cup milk (I use low-fat lactose-free)

Directions

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly in a medium bowl.

Tip: I run the mix through a flour sifter several times to get a good mix.

Note: I do not add the sugar at this point, because the bits of orange zest tend to get caught in the sifter.

2. Whisk the sugar into the dry ingredients.

3. Melt the butter in a small cup and drizzle it over the flour mixture.

Tip: Put the butter in a microwave safe custard cup and zap it for 15-20 seconds.

Note: Keep an eye out during the last few seconds, so that the butter does not boil over.

4. Whisk the butter into the flour to distribute it evenly.

Tip: You want to break the butter into small bits with no large lumps. A chopping motion with the end of the whisk is a good technique.

5. Put the egg in a large one cup measure and lightly scramble it with one quarter cup of the milk.

Tip: If you are not watching your weight, you may replace some of the milk with half and half.

6. Stir the rest of the milk into the measuring cup.

7. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the milk/egg mixture into the depression.

8. Whisk the ingredients together until there is no dry flour showing.

Tip: This is a bit tricky. You want to thoroughly mix the dry and wet ingredients, but you do not want to over work your batter. This would produce too much gluten and make your pancakes tough. Once you have only a few small lumps, stop.

Note: Some of these lumps will be butter, but any flour lumps will continue to absorb the milk and it will be OK.

9. Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes.

10. Pam a griddle and heat it over medium high heat.

Tip: Wipe away most of the Pam with a paper towel. You want the merest smear of oil on your griddle. Too much and your first batch of pancakes will steam on their first side and be unappealing.

Note: When a drip of water “dances” over the griddle it is hot enough.

11. Spoon the batter over the griddle to make your preferred size pancakes.

Tip: One tablespoon for “dollar pancakes,” one tablespoon more for each additional inch larger.

Note: Give your pancakes plenty of room, so that they do not merge into one large cake as they cook.

12. When the first side is well browned, 1 ½ -2 minutes, flip the pancakes to finish the second side.

Tip: Lift the edge of the first pancake you poured into the griddle, to check the browning of the first side.

13. Cook the second side until well browned, and transfer the pancakes to a wire rack.

Tip: Laying the pancakes on a flat surface will make the bottoms soggy, as the steam comes out of the fresh pancakes.

Note: To keep the first pancakes warm, you may place the wire rack on a lipped baking sheet and put them in a warmed oven. Do not leave the oven on, or it will dry out your pancakes and turn them into Frisbees.

14. Continue until you run out of batter.

Note: This recipe produces about 12 three-inch pancakes.

15. Serve the pancakes warm, with butter and/or your favorite toppings.