Whip Up Special-Occasion Pancakes With Panache

Whip Up Special-Occasion Pancakes With Panache

There’s no magic to these two recipes for fluffy, golden and genuinely impressive pancakes. But only you need to know that

By Sarah Karnasiewicz in the Wall Street Journal

OF ALL THE everyday lies parents tell their children, few are more persistent than the idea that pancakes are an ambitious, only-for-special-occasions treat. I can admit this because I, too, like to clang bowls around and kick up a cloud of flour and generally make a production of the procedure while my son sits at the table grinning gullibly. But the truth is, any knucklehead could get the job done on any given Tuesday morning.

Still, who can blame the kids for believing? A well-formed pancake—gently puffed, golden and crisp at the edges—sure looks grand. And though easily learned, there is an art to the timing: the ladling of batter onto the hot pan, then the pause, just long enough for little bubbles to pop to the surface, before giving it a graceful flip. If you want to make yourself look really industrious in front of the tots (or your brunch guests), you can complicate the process—whipping the egg whites before adding them to the batter, or sliding in extra yolks, or stirring in ricotta. But this is all excessive. For pillowy, ooh-and-ahh-worthy stacks, buttermilk is the only trick you need up your sleeve.

The reason? Simple chemistry. Buttermilk’s natural acidity, a product of the fermentation process, gently activates baking soda’s leavening agents, producing unfailingly tender, tangy pancakes that rise sky high on the griddle. Though all-purpose flour is the traditional base, these days my go-to recipe substitutes half of that flour with whole wheat. This, alas, does not do much to boost their nutritive profile, but it does add an appealing complexity. The only other thing to remember? Go easy on the batter, as overmixing will undo all the lovely airiness the buttermilk imparts.

‘A well-formed pancake—gently puffed, golden and crisp at the edges—sure looks grand.’

Beyond that, just add a thick stream of syrup. I favor dark grade-B maple, or for a pop of color and tartness, a homemade cranberry version that comes together in a flash, so long as, like me, you always keep a bag of frozen cranberries on hand.

Even seasoned pancake makers need to raise their game once in a while, though. That’s why I recently asked Charlie Brassard—a chef at Ian Boden’s acclaimed Staunton, Va., eatery the Shack—if he could slip me any tips. Mr. Brassard happens to be married to my oldest friend, and I’d noticed, via his social media stream, that he and Mr. Boden had been tinkering with their brunch lineup.

Their advice? For serious drama, try making a griddlecake-version of an Appalachian classic, the stack cake. Though traditionally baked in pans and layered with slices of apple and apple butter, the form is ripe for tinkering. Mr. Brassard suggested that making one with peanut pancakes could be fun; while not a traditional stack-cake ingredient, peanuts, he assured me, are appropriate to the region. I was sold.

A few tweaks to my standby recipe—some brown sugar for caramel sweetness, plus a scoop of peanut flour and a dollop of runny peanut butter for a one-two punch of nuttiness—and I was off and running. To achieve the look of a real cake, I knew I’d need to make the layers big—about 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Flipping a pancake that large is a challenge. My solution (besides holding my breath and saying a prayer): using two spatulas for increased support.

Once the layers were ready, I whisked up some whipped cream emboldened by a shot of bourbon, then I slathered it generously between the pancakes. The final flourish? One more dollop of cream atop the towering stack, a flurry of crushed peanuts and, in homage to the stack cake’s origins, a drizzle of amber sorghum syrup, an Appalachian staple. The result was the ultimate special-occasion pancake, as impressive as it was irresistible. And that’s no lie.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Cranberry-Maple Syrup

Total Time: 45 minutes Serves: 2-4

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
• 1¼ cups sugar
• ¾ cup water
• ⅓ cup grade-B maple syrup
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2¼ cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking

1. Make cranberry-maple syrup: In a blender, pulse cranberries, 1 cup sugar and water until coarsely chopped. Scrape mixture into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then decrease to low and simmer until reduced by half, 20 minutes. Strain liquid over a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Discard solids. Let syrup cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Once cool, stir in maple syrup, then set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together 2 cups buttermilk and eggs. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring until just incorporated. Add 2 tablespoons butter and remaining buttermilk, stirring once or twice until just combined.

3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter on a griddle or a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once melted, ladle ⅓ cup batter into pan, swirling pan to form a 6-inch round. Cook until surface starts to bubble and bottom is golden brown, about 1½ minutes, then carefully flip and cook 1½ minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter to pan as necessary. Serve with cranberry-maple syrup.

Peanut Stack Cake with Bourbon Whipped Cream

Total Time: 40 minutes Serves: 4

• ½ cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup peanut flour
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2¼ cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 2 cups chilled heavy cream
• 1 ounce bourbon
• 4 tablespoons sorghum syrup or grade-B maple syrup, plus more for garnish
• ½ cup chopped peanuts

1. Place peanut butter in a small bowl and microwave on high 30 seconds. Remove and stir until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together 2 cups buttermilk, eggs and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry, stirring until just incorporated. Add peanut butter and remaining buttermilk, and stir once or twice until just combined.

3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter on a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once melted, ladle ¼ batter into pan, swirling pan to form a 10-inch round. Cook until surface starts to bubble and bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes, then carefully flip using two spatulas. Cook 2 minutes more. Place pancake on a rack or a large platter to cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining batter until you have 4 pancakes, adding more butter to pan as necessary.

4. Meanwhile, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat cream, remaining sugar, remaining vanilla and bourbon until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.

5. To assemble: Place 1 pancake on a large platter. Drizzle surface with 1 tablespoon syrup. Top with 1 cup bourbon whipped cream, evenly spreading across top of pancake. Repeat with remaining pancakes and cream. Garnish with chopped peanuts and drizzle with more syrup. To serve, slice into 4 wedges.