Buttermilk Pancakes

I think pancakes fIor breakfast, fresh and fluffy are the best starts to a day. Big Grin :) I've tried making pancakes before but it either turned out dense or tough so I decided to go out looking for ways to make those super cafe-style fluffy pancakes.

For those that want a great recipe and tips for pancakes, I recommend Martha Stewart's Buttermilk Pancakes recommended on Smitten Kitchen. I only used half of her ingredients and it was just enough for two, bare in mind we're big pancake eaters so it was like three pancakes each.

I think its important to sift the dry ingredients first - makes it easier to mix together and I think sifting incorporates a bit more air into the batter. It's really easy to just get the ingredients ready, put the oven at 80 degrees Celcius to keep warm the pancakes and start rolling them out.

Leave the eggs and the buttermilk out for a while so it is not so cold, I find if its too cold, the melted butter hardens when you mix the wet ingredients together.

So here is the recipe for these perfect pancakes (this is enough for 2 people):

1. Mix the Dry Ingredients first

• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 1/2 TBS Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt

2. Mix the Wet Ingredients

• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 2 TBS Butter (melted in microwave)
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

3. Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together (only briefly)

• There should be small and medium lumps
• Be careful of over-mixing because this will give you horrible dense pancakes

4. Heat a pan up on medium-high heat

• Test it with some water drops, it should spatter
• Pour in your batter
• Lower the heat to low-medium, this will give you nicely brown coloured pancakes
• Cook one side for about 2-3 minutes depending on the size of your pancake - then flip to the other for 1 minute. 
• Put it in baking paper in your oven to keep warm

Scones for Christmas Breakfast

Today we had freshly baked scones for breakfast, served with cream and jam. I got this recipe from ABC (Melissa's best ever scones). The recipe was very simple and easy to follow. 

The recipe suggests using half and half (half milk and half cream) will make a denser scone with richer flavour. 

I changed parts of the recipe like the oven temperature (mine is a fan forced oven) and the thickness of the scone dough rounds - so here are the exact bits and pieces I used:

Ingredients

  - 2 Cups Self Raising Flour

  - Pinch of Caster Sugar

  - 30g butter (cut to small cubes, straight from the fridge)

  - 180mL of Half and Half (half milk and half cream)

Method

  1. Sift flour

  2. Rub butter into flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs

  3. Add a pinch of caster sugar

  4. Add milk or half and half until the dough is soft and not sticky

  5. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead/pat until its smooth

  6. Use a rolling pin (start from the centre and roll outwards) 

  7. Roll dough until it us about 1 inch thick and cut into 5cm rounds

  8. Place into oven tray (lined with baking paper)

  9. Glaze top of scones with milk and bake at 200°C for 12 to 15 minutes.

I baked it in the over for just over 15 minutes. Some came out just on the mark and some needed an extra minute or two. The outside was crunchy and the inside was soft and flaky. The texture of the scone was wonderful (quote from Mr. K). I reckon it was pretty good myself, good enough to be cafe worthy. Will definitely use this recipe again. Only I might warm up the oven tray (have it pre-heated) and try it with milk only....

Breakfast at Cafe 58

Today we ventured out for some breakfast endeavours. Last time we came to Cafe 58, the Canadian pancakes were to die for. The pancakes were high and puffy, extremely fluffly yet dense enough to give you something to bite on.

We decided to try again this time, I ordered the Canadian pancakes and Mr. K had eggs benedict. I was suggesting to order his drink (a flat white) for him as well so that it'd match the eggs benedict in the photos, but I was forcibly declined :P In the end, he had his short mac, traditional and I opted for a flat white - double shots. (ah.. the caffeine).

The eggs benedict was quite good value, the bread was a good sized and it came with two large poached eggs and plenty of ham. The hollandaise sauce was creamy, yet not too rich nor salty. I find some places has it with a bit too much lemon juice in it making it a bit sour, but this one wasn't too over powering and felt just right. It was still really filling though.

As for my canadian pancakes, I was a little bit disappointed as it wasn't as tall and fluffy as last time. The taste was still there, but it was lacking a bit in the pancake arena. Coffee was great, all in all, a great neighbourhood breakfast place. They have very nice cakes on display though, got to try one of them next time :)

Cafe 58
Address: 58 Carrington St Palmyra WA 6157