Fluffiest Ever Pancakes

Fluffy Pancakes

I think these are the fluffiest I've made. I used my iron skillet, let it heat with nothing in it for about 3 minutes or until I started to see it smoking slightly. Added a tablespoon of oil and let the oil get hot then added the batter. Turned the heat down to medium low and let cook until edges of batter were drying out. Flipped and cooked a few minutes more while checking the undersides to make sure they were not getting too dark. They were fantastic!

I could get 3 to 4 pancakes in the skillet and didn't re-oil for second batch. 

Fluffiest Ever Pancakes:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

1 1/4 cup milk or buttermilk

1 egg

3 tablespoons melted butter

This is what I did:

Measure out the dry ingredients into a bowl and sift together...twice. Set aside. (I believe sifting is the key to fluffiness so don't miss this step) If you don't have a sifter, go buy one...they're cheap!

Measure out milk into a bowl or 2 cup measuring cup. If you want to use buttermilk but don't have any on hand you can make it by adding 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice to the milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. What you save on making your own buttermilk you can spend on a sifter!

Add the egg to the milk and stir until the egg is broken and incorporated, then stir in the melted butter. Pour the milk mixture into the dry mixture and stir until mixed. Lumps in batter are okay and expected. 

Pour batter into hot oiled skillet creating desired size pancakes. If need be adjust heat to medium low to prevent burning pancakes. Don't flip until edges are dry, checking the underside for over browning. Once flipped cooked an additional 3 or so minutes. 

Enjoy with butter and syrup.

Variations: 

To batter add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp vanilla or other extract such as butter pecan, peach, orange or almond.

Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips to batter

Add finely chopped pecans or walnuts to batter.

Serve with strawberries and whipped cream

Experiment with different varieties of syrup

Serve with breakfast sausage or bacon or BOTH...why not.

Instant Pot Brain Explosion Realization

Years ago when I first heard of the Instant Pot (IP) I was like "oh another kitchen gadget that will take up counter space" I'm late to the IP game, but let me tell you, the IP can take up as much counter space as it wants!

I'm definitely hooked and sometimes I think I need two!

I bought it for my husband to use (haha) and it's become MY main cooking appliance. I HAVE used a pressure cooker before as I own an older stove top model that has the little rocker valve on the lid. I was never afraid of it but it did need attention, increasing and decreasing the flame to keep the rocker rocking at an even rhythm. 

What I love about the IP is the set it and move on to something else and when the pot beeps, supper is ready function.....Amazing! 

Thus far I have cooked pinto beans, chicken noodle soup using chicken from a whole chicken cooked in the IP.  I'll always now cook ribs in the IP. Rice is amazing! Boiled eggs are amazing! Whole baked sweet potatoes are awesome. I did Jambalaya today, again using meat from a whole chicken cooked in the IP. I cook a chicken a week now and use the meat in meals.

I've done spaghetti, pork roast, corned beef and cabbage, a whole unpeeled butternut squash and a bunch of fresh veggies. Scramble eggs are the best under pressure....cook and eat out of the same bowl. Clean-up is a snap! Oh and I've proofed bread. So many things I've not yet tried and Pinterest is full of ideas! I'm surprised I've not bombed any meals thus far. 

Melt in your mouth ribs (25 minutes under pressure and 10 minutes finishing in the oven)

Whole chicken that falls apart. (40 minutes under pressure)

The golden chicken broth is a bonus

Never fail easy to peel boiled eggs (6 minutes under pressure)

Homemade chicken noodle soup
(12 minutes under pressure. I was unsure about the noodles so I switched the IP to saute and added the noodles and cooked until noodles were tender)

Jambalaya (12 minutes under pressure using pre-cooked meats)

I use the IP so much that when my mother recently wanted to heat up some soup on the gas stove we discovered we were totally out of propane and didn't even know it bc it's been weeks since I've used the stove and I generally cook something every day! 

Happy Cooking!

Happy Eating!