Yes, Batter Blaster. This is the future, my friends, and we need to make it stop! Pancake batter in an aerosol can. The can is like the whipped cream cans; press the tip and voila! Pancake batter magically appears.
I, for one, am horrified. This can was a recent gift to my husband from a friend who let his curiosity of the odd get the best of him. My guys loved the idea of pancake batter in a can. How fun! Can’t wait to try the pancakes in a can, because we all know how good cheese from a can is, right?
We decided a Saturday-morning cook-off was in order: Mom’s pancakes vs. Batter Blaster. I think the kids were really pulling for the can. The can needed fans, I guess.
I heated up my griddle and prepared for the pancake battle of a lifetime. It is odd squirting out pancake batter, although it did make a perfect circle. Hmmm, I could put my batter in a pastry bag and … no, that would be nuts.
So the Batter Blaster pancakes cooked up a little differently than the typical pancake. There were a lot of air bubbles that seemed to overtake the pancake. I flipped my last one and the family dug in. The guys all thought that the pancake tasted ’odd’ despite having a handful of chocolate chips tossed in. I thought that the pancakes were not all that horrible, there just was not a lot of flavor, and they seemed to cling to the roof of my mouth.
So, when the griddle was cool and the last pancake had been eaten. The winner was decided: Mom’s pancakes by a knockout!
Have fun making pancakes. When you see how simple it is to make your own batter from scratch, I suspect that the commercial mixes will no longer be found in your pantry.
Andrea’s Pancakes
3 cups flour3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup buttermilk (regular milk will work fine)
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated zest, lemon or orange (optional)
Unsalted butter
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla and zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until just combined. I like to let my batter sit for a few minutes while I make a cup of coffee or get the plates ready.
I use a griddle to cook the pancakes, if you do not have one, use a large skillet.
Warm up the griddle or pan and plop a pat of butter into the pan. When the butter bubbles, your pan is ready for the pancake batter. Pour the pancake batter into the desired size on to the warm griddle/pan.
Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the underside is nice and brown. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Serve with butter and fresh maple syrup.
Variations: My kids are fans of the chocolate-chip pancake. I add the chocolate chips after I pour the pancake batter.
Banana nut. MY favorite. After the batter is poured I add sliced banana, pecans or walnuts, and flax meal. I feel a lot better eating a pancake with all of these goodies that have such great benefits to my health.
Blueberry. Really fantastic with any berry. I do like the addition of lemon or orange zest when adding the berries.
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she, her husband Westley, and their two sons moved to Redding nine years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is still asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2008 Andrea R. Charroin
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