Pancakes and crepes?

Uh, Bisquick is ok for biscuits, but you’ll do much better with my recipe (from an old Betty Crocker book) for waffles. Let me know if you want it. We can talk about that in a waffles thread. :wink:

The problem with Bisquick is, well, that it tastes like BISQUICK instead of like what you’re trying to make. They give you all kinds of recipes to make things like waffles, or whatever, but they all taste like Bisquick, and they taste very high in sodium and high in chemical leavener. I don’t care for the stuff anymore. :2cents:

I am no expert on the french crepes, but I could give some hints regarding a very similar kind of pancakes: [wikipedia]Palatschinken[/wikipedia]. These are a thin, central European (think former Austro-Hungarian Empire) variety of the Crepe, and are both delicious and very easy to make.

This is my recipe, as handed down by the Slovakian part of my family:

For the dough mix:

500ml Milk
250g flour (Taiwanese all purpose flour works OK)
2 eggs
pinch of salt
If you want it sweet, add Sugar to taste - example would be 2 teaspoons white or brown sugar

MixerMix well with a , and then leave for 10 minutes so that the flour can soak.

Now heat a big, flat non-stick pan (medium heat, see hints below). Put some (maybe one teaspoon, or a bit less) fat in there (Butter, Margarine or Oil) before each new pancake.

Now, take the pan off the stove and with a ladle put some (I guess around 1/4 cup) of the dough in the middle of the pan. Immediately tilt the pan so that the dough runs from the middle to the side. Keep tilting the pan in different directions, so that the dough runs everywhere and forms a pancake that is maybe 1-2mm thick.

Now set the pan back on the stove and let it bake until the bottom side is browned a bit (see pic above for example). You can check by lifting it a bit with a spatula. Next turn it over with the spatula (lift up, put back the other way round). Alternatively throw it in the air to turn :wink:

These taste best fresh, so for example mommy cooks, kids eat. You can sprinkle with sugar, eat with fruits and cream, use Nutella, etc. Similar to crepes. If you don’t use sugar in the dough, you can sprinkle some dried herbs, salt and pepper on after you pour the dough and spread it. They will sink into the dough that is not yet hardened. After turning around add cheese on top, it will melt until the pancake is done. Also can use lots of salty stuff, like ham, cheeses, pickles, …

You have to experiment what heat is best with your stove: it has to be hot enough to brown the pancake within a reasonable time (maybe 30 sec to 1 min per side, too long might make it dry), but not too hot or else the Butter / Margarine gets brown (not a desired taste here) or the hot oil burns the pancake.

One hint: I prefer using [wikipedia]Margarine[/wikipedia] (Carrefour has it), since it helps to find the right temperature. Also it’s the way my family always cooked it :slight_smile: Put the Margarine into the pan while it’s heating. It will start to sizzle, when the water in the margarine starts to evaporate. Once it finished sizzling typically the pan has the correct temperature. Now you only have to worry about too hot, and this just takes some experimenting with your stove. On my gas stove the best setting is either very small (only the middle ring), or a little bit more.

Enjoy :slight_smile:

Okay so we made them that day right? They were initially a bit thick, but then later I just poured in less batter and it was okay. This is a pic of the first one which was overdone :laughing: but we got it right later,by then the kids were attacking them before I could flip them on a plate…

You made Doraemon pancakes? Hao ke ai!

Tsk tsk, this is all girlie stuff, this is real pancake

Pork pancake made in the oven with lingonberry jam. Nuff said :wink:

2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Cook on skillet. Serve with butter and maple syrup, with bacon on the side.

:lick:

(Yes, DB, I like Bisquick!)

[quote=“Chris”]2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Cook on skillet. Serve with butter and maple syrup, with bacon on the side.

:lick:

(Yes, DB, I like Bisquick!)[/quote]
I was wondering what was so special about “Bisquick” that was so much better than just getting some flour and adding a teaspoon of baking power and a pinch of salt. So I looked it up on the Internet and found the answer. Trans fat. I guess that’s what my pancakes have been missing all these years.

Trans fat is where the flavor is!

Naw, there’s TONS more flavor in natural saturated fats like in butter (50% s.f.) and bacon (40% s.f.) than there is in transfats (like the flavorless old Crisco).

The last time I made pancakes I followed a Vietnamese recipe. Made the pancakes the normal way, but had a topping consisting of shrimps, bean sprouts, basil leaves and lettuce. When served the pancake is dipped in a sauce consisting of crushed garlic, chilies, soya sauce and fresh lemon juice. Delicious.

Use butter when frying. The only reason why manufacturers add transfat is to increase shelf-life. It is well documented that transfats are bad for your cholesterol, and that’s probably the reason why it is one of the few ingredients that you can find on the standard required label for processed food products in Taiwan and most other countries.

Well, I’m sure there are better and more compicated ways to have crepes. Here, I just use the Costco pancake mix. Add the powder and an extra egg. Then add a tablespoon or more of oil or possibly butter. When you add the water, add about 130% that you would normally add. It’s important not to negotiate with the quantitiy of water. You want the batter to “brew”. If you had to add more water to make it thinner, you will end up “batting” the batter down. Learn by trial and error, how much water you need and if too much or too little, don’t adjust. It will just make it worse.
While the batter is “brewing”, put your pan on the cooker and heat with a smidgen of olive oil (I perfer butter). When the pan is crackling hot, on mid to mid-high heat, pour enough batter in, without mixing, into the pan - enough to cover most of the bottom of the pan. If you don’t have a crepe pan, who does?, just wait until the crepe is a little brown on the first side. You can check by gently raising a corner to check to “donnage”. When it is golden on one side, use 2 paddles and do a flip. Always messy but it gets better with practice. After the flip. wait for the “flip side” to get a golden color.
While your are doing all this, you might consider preparing your mangos, strawberries or, as I do, thawing and mixing the “mixed berries” that I get from Costco. I am also mixing some fresh whipped cream from Costco.
After the crepes are brown all the way around, turn it out onto a big plate, shovel on the mixed berries or mangos and top with whipped creme. Enjoy.
Wow! too much prepared whipped cream! Well, how about some berry shortcake, etc. The mixed cream will keep for at least 2 days in the fridge after it is mixed. I suggest that you use about 1/2 the carton on the first crepes and in the next two days, find a dessert for the remainder. Store the rest in the fridge but you need to find a good use within a couple days. Shortcakes? Watermelon and other fruits in season, all chopped in small pices with copious amounts of whipped creme. Invite friends! My number is available.

I am no expert on the french crepes, but I could give some hints regarding a very similar kind of pancakes: [wikipedia]Palatschinken[/wikipedia]. These are a thin, central European (think former Austro-Hungarian Empire) variety of the Crepe, and are both delicious and very easy to make.

This is my recipe, as handed down by the Slovakian part of my family:

For the dough mix:

500ml Milk
250g flour (Taiwanese all purpose flour works OK)
2 eggs
pinch of salt
If you want it sweet, add Sugar to taste - example would be 2 teaspoons white or brown sugar
Enjoy :slight_smile:[/quote]

I use a recipe like this for our pancakes/crepes, I just like to add a tea-spoon of vanilla powder to the mix as well. Makes it taste more of dessert pancake/crepes :lick:

(In denmark we call the thin ones pancakes and for the thick ones; american pancakes. Crepes is what you get in France or in fancy restaurants :wink: )

I bought some pre-made crepes at Costco a few days ago, from the refrigerated goods section. They’re WAY too sweet. I won’t buy them again. Just for your information…

I look at those Costco crepes with chocolate and just their appearance made me reconsider to buy them… :whistle:

Yeah, I went with the non-chocolate variety - “butter & sugar”. Yuck. Who can eat that stuff?