If a traditional crêpe and a thick and fluffy diner pancake had a baby it would be these crepe-style pancakes. Stuffed full of fresh strawberries, they're an elegant brunch treat rooted in nostalgic flavor.
Mother's Day is this Sunday, and whether you're celebrating your mom or if you are the mom, it's the perfect excuse to enjoy an extra-special weekend brunch.
I've always loved diner-style pancakes, but the crepe-style pancakes served at Pamela's Diner here in Pittsburgh are INSANE. They have the most incredible, crispy edges, and their softer centers make them perfect for folding around some of your favorite fillings. The famous Pamela's Diner pancakes are the inspiration for these crepe-style pancakes.
Crepe-style pancakes are not as thin and delicate as a traditional crêpe, making them easier to flip and cook. They're also not as thick and fluffy as traditional American diner pancakes. Instead they're the perfect combination of thin, crispy edges and soft centers.
That perfect crispy edge is achieved by:
- heating both butter and oil (yes, you need both to get a good crisp) in a skillet
- then quickly swirling the batter around in the skillet as soon as you pour it in so that it spreads out nice and thin before it begins to cook
Crepe-style pancakes taste very much like your traditional diner pancakes, but with a rich, buttery flavor from the butter they are cooked in. They are absolutely delicious paired with a classic drizzle of maple syrup, but my favorite way to enjoy them is packed with fresh berries!
To serve these pancakes, I smeared them with sour cream and topped them with sliced strawberries and a sprinkling of brown sugar. The brown sugar will develop a caramel-y taste when it meets the juice of the sweet strawberries, and the sour cream balances the sweetness beautifully. Sour cream on pancakes may sound strange, but trust me, this combo is sure to be a hit!
[recipe title="Crepe-Style Pancakes with Strawberries & Sour Cream" servings="2-3 (makes 6 pancakes)"]
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup milk
½ tsp. active dry yeast
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 T granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 T vegetable oil
1 egg
2 T vegetable oil, for cooking
2 T butter, for cooking
for the filling:
¾ cup sour cream
2 T brown sugar
1 qt. fresh strawberries, sliced
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the milk so that it's lukewarm (about 100°F). Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Yeast will become foamy.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the milk and yeast and 2 T vegetable oil to the flour mixture. Stir gently until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, leaving a small opening for air to escape. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 3 hours. It will become slightly bubbly.
Then refrigerate the batter overnight.
In the morning, just before cooking the pancakes, remove the dough from the fridge. The mixture may have separated slightly; this is okay. Beat the egg and add it to the batter, stirring gently until combined.
Add 1 tsp. vegetable oil and 1 tsp. butter to a 10-inch skillet. Heat the skillet over medium heat and swirl it around so the melting butter and oil coat the bottom of the skillet.
Add about ⅓ cup of the batter to the skillet and quickly swirl the skillet around so the batter coats the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 2 to 2-½ minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Flip the pancake with a spatula and cook for another 1-½ to 2 minutes so that both sides are golden brown. Transfer the pancake to a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more oil and butter to the skillet before cooking each pancake.
To serve, spread 2 T sour cream onto each pancake in a straight line down the middle. Sprinkle 1 tsp. brown sugar onto each pancake over the sour cream. Place strawberry slices onto each pancake on top of the sour cream and brown sugar. Roll up the pancakes and serve.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
[/recipe]
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