The origins of Pancakes

Pancakes, as we know them today have roots dating to ancient time. Foods very similar to pancakes were eaten by ancient Romans. They were made from milk, flour and eggs and spices. These pancakes were called “Alita Dolcia” what in Latin means another sweet. Roman pancakes were served with honey and fruits or with meat and cheese. Although, Roman pancakes may have been similar to what we call today a pancake, but actually the pancakes we eat nowadays, resemble more pancakes eaten in Medieval Europe.

First pancakes which were clearly distinguishable from plain breads are sweet ones mentioned by Apicius. These sweet pancakes were made from a batter of milk, eggs, and flour. And fried and served with honey and pepper. Later in 1430 English culinary manuscript mentions pancakes in a way which implies that term “pancake” was already known, but it wasn’t often included in early printed cookery books.

Pancakes are usually made on a griddle. The griddle method of cooking is older than oven baking. Making and eating pancakes developed many traditions. Throughout Europe pancakes had a place among Easter foods, specially on Shrove Tuesday- the last day before Lent.

Potato Pancakes Recipe

Potato pancakes are also known as latkes or latkas in Yiddish and Hebrew. Potato pancakes are shallow- fried pancakes of grated egg and potato. Often pancakes are flavored with onion. I usually top my potato pancakes with a variety of condiments. Sometimes I like them savory, whereas the other time I make them sweet with sugar and applesauce. If you rather have a taste for savory potato pancakes, try them out with some sour cream- yummy. Many times I fed my family with these potato pancakes even without any toppings or sauces and still they were delicious and disappeared from the plates with a big speed.

Potato Pancakes are a very delicious and warm thing to eat. They have a lot more flavor and taste than other pancakes. Potato pancakes are commonly associated with traditional Polish, Ukrainian, German, Czech and Hungarian cuisine. Other countries like Belarus, India or Korea have similar potato pancakes.

Here, I present one of my favorite potato pancakes recipe. It is easy to make and you can serve your pancakes for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Potato Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 large egg whites
• 2 medium baking potatoes
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 tsp Canola oil
• 2 Tbsp coarsely grated onion
• Pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp salt

How to make Potato Pancakes:

1. First, peel the potatoes and onion. Then shred them with a grater onto 2 paper towels. The, twist the towels and the potatoes over the sink to wring out the left liquid.
2. Put potatoes to a mixing bowl.
3. Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Beat egg whites in a small bowl until foamy and add to the potatoes. Add also onions, pepper and salt. Add flour and toss gently to blend.
4. Take a frying pan or a heavy non-stick skillet and brush it with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Preheat for about 2 minutes on a medium heat.
5. Put about ½ cup of potatoes mixture on the frying pan. Cook pancake for about 7 minutes. Don’t forget about flipping them to the other side during the cooking. Pancakes should be browned and crispy.
6. When ready, put your potato pancakes on the plate. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. Serve pancakes with applesauce or sour cream.

Tips:

• You can put sugar on the pancakes after you fry them to give them extra flavor. But only if you want to make them sweet.
• When frying, use a generous amount of oil. I use peanut oil sometimes, which doesn’t burn during the cooking process.

Low Carb Pancakes Recipe

Low carb pancakes are not only healthier but are also very delicious. If you like eating pancakes, but you prefer to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet, try these yummy low carb pancakes. They are great for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. You can serve them with sugar-free maple syrup or with sugar-free jam.

Ingredients for low carb pancakes:

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup of blueberries( if desired)
• 1 cup sifted oat flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (or little less)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons sugar-free sweetener (or more)

How to make Low Carb Pancakes:

1. In one bowl whisk together oat flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Take another bowl and whisk the egg yolks, milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.
3. Use electric mixer and beat egg whites at medium speed until frothy. And beat at high speed until soft peaks appear. Fold egg whites to the batter and whisk it.
4. Heat a large non-stick pan and lightly butter it. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto the pan. Cook pancake over medium-high heat until bottoms are golden and you see that pancakes are beginning to set.
5. Sprinkle each pancake with a few blueberries and press lightly. Flip pancakes and cook until golden on the bottom and cooked through.
6. Transfer pancakes to a plate and keep them in the warm place. Serve with maple syrup.
7. You can freeze these pancakes. Freeze pancakes in layers with waxed paper in between.

Additional Tips For Delicious Low Carb Pancakes:

• You can use buttermilk ot yogurt, instead of other milk type products.
• Add ingredients like cinnamon, fruits, nuts or meat on top as the first side is cooking.
• For thinner pancakes add more milk or water and don’t add raising agent.

Thin Pancakes Recipe

Thin pancakes, also called Crêpes are making a comeback in America. Crêpe is a type of very thin pancake usually made from wheat flour. The word “crêpe” is of  French origin, deriving from Latin crispa. French thin pancakes originate from Brittany, a region in northwest of France. Today Crêpes are considered a national French dish.

Thin pancakes can be served with various dips and plain fillings such as fresh fruits, honey, jam, chocolate, or sour cream. You can also staff your crêpes with some complex fillings like meat and rice, or mushrooms, chicken and cheese. Or add some vegetables to your savory thin pancakes.

There are many commercial mixes for crêpe batter, but you don’t need one. Here is a thin pancake recipe. This traditional French pancake recipe is quite easy to make, and the delicate pancakes taste delicious.

Thin pancake recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt

How to make thin pancakes:

1. Take a small saucepan and warm the milk and butter until the butter melts. Set the saucepan aside to cool a bit.
2. Next, use food processor with a steel blade and process the flour and salt together. While processing, pour the milk mixture and eggs. Process until it is blended.
3. Then, pour the batter into the bowl and let it rest for half an hour.
4. Next, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the hot non-stick skillet. With a large spoon, pour two big tablespoon of batter to the pan. Use the bottom of the ladle to spread butter to the edges.
5. When you notice that the batter loses its sheen and the edges begin to brown, flip the pancakes with a spatula. The other side will cook faster than the first side so be careful.
6. Remove the pancake from a pan and put on a plate. You can cover it with wax paper.
7. Repeat the same process with remaining batter.
8. Serve pancakes with desired dip and filling.

I hope you like this pancake recipe because it is one of my favorite one. I hardly resist these delicious homemade pancakes when I see them.