Fluffy Pancakes

Found this "Fluffy Pancake" recipe from Rei's Blog "All That Matters" and had used it for a few times already. The recipe requires the separation of egg yolks and egg whites. And you'll get fluffy pancakes, better than Macdonalds :P No more pancake mixes for me!

The first time I attempted the pancake recipe, I tried to cheat by skipping the egg separation step & beat the eggs together with everything else. The pancakes ended up okay but not as fluffy as I would have liked. And according to Rei, the pancakes ahould be fluffy, like those served at Macdonalds. I had no prior success in separating eggs before & I gave up the recipe, hoping to look for another one that uses the whole egg method. It was only after I've picked up the skill of separating the egg that I decided to try the recipe again. And this time, it worked! The pancakes were great!

The Tricky Business of Separating Egg Whites & Egg Yolks

At first I tried those plastic 'egg sieve' that supposedly helps to do the task. But it just didn't work for me. The egg white tends to stick to the yolk. And when I tried shaking the egg whites off, the entire yolk dropped into the bowl! I almost gave up, thinking that the skill must be for master chefs & very experienced cooks. Then I read a book that actually shows & explain how this should be done. So I plucked up the courage & tried again. Of course, there were minor accidents along the way... like being violent enough to break the egg yolk together with the shell... I didn't know I was that strong!

If you're wondering how exactly, watch this  youtube video on egg separation.

Fluffy Pancakes

Adapted Recipe for Fluffy Pancakes

(Makes 8 medium size pancakes, using 1/4 cup to pour the batter)

Ingredients:

(A) Mix together in a mixing bowl

100g self raising flour, sifted

a pinch of salt

(B) Mix well in a mesauring cup

80ml milk

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

(C)

2 egg whites

2 tbsp fine sugar

Method:

1) Make a well in the centre of (A) the flour & salt in the mixing bowl.

Pour in (B) & mix the mixture to a smooth batter using a hand whisk.

2) Whisk the egg whites in a grease-free bowl using electric whisk till foamy.

Add sugar gradually & continue to whisk till stiff.

3) Stir in 1/4 of egg white to the batter to lighten it folding mixing in the rest of the egg white.

4) Heat a lightly greased frying pan (or just use a non-stick pan) and pour batter.

(I use a 1/4 cup to scoop & pour the batter at 1 go to achieve a nice circle & the pancake will be evenly browned. If you use a tbsp and make a few scoops, the cooked pancake will not be a nice circle & will appear to have 'rings' with the centre ring being the darkest.)

5) Flip the pancake over once you see bubbles appear on the surface. Brown the other side & remove from heat. (There is no need to add oil to the pan as there is already oil in the pancake batter.)

6) To keep the pancakes warm (while cooking the rest) before serving, keep them in the oven with low heat turned on.

7) Enjoy your fluffy pancakes hot with some butter & golden syrup. :)