How to make american style pancakes more exciting?

Nottoobadyet

Hello all! Im having a big welcome brunch for a new roommate on Sunday, and will be making lots of American style pancakes. We'll have maple syrup on hand along with some sauteed apples to put on top (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sauteed-apples/detail.aspx) but I'm wondering what I can do to the pancakes themselves to give us some variety.

In addition to the regular pancake ingredients, what can I add to make things tasty? I dont really have access to berries or chocolate chips where I live, I was thinking of cinnamon or grated apples? Suggestions most welcome!

kittycat204

i put banana slices in mine or currants. i wouldn't mix things in with the batter, just do them individually, of thing doesn't work, try another. the slices i put in the pan and ladle the mixture on top. you could get mixture in the ladle and add the cinnamon then.

i've had ones topped with ice-cream and maple syrup and nuts. or i know they are expensive at the moment, a peach or nectarine in a pan, sliced with a touch of sugar.

they sound gorgeous, makes me want some too.

kittycat204

oh i forgot the obvious one of bacon and maple syrup, controversial for some, yummy to me.

MandM90

I'd just add some cinnamon and let people choose toppings. Sauteed apples sounds nice, and I'd second bacon (then people can have a meaty or fruity meal)

LondonDreamer

kittycat204 wrote: »

oh i forgot the obvious one of bacon and maple syrup, controversial for some, yummy to me.

Ditto this, but it has to be streaky bacon that's been fried/grilled until it's really crispy.

I love banana and walnuts with mine, but I don't add them to the batter - just spoon on the top.

PipneyJane

kittycat204 wrote: »

oh i forgot the obvious one of bacon and maple syrup, controversial for some, yummy to me.

It's the old "sweet and savoury" thing. Actually, American pancakes with maple syrup on them work really well with bacon and fried black pudding +/- a good sausage.

Make sure you have real maple syrup, though, not one of those sugar syrups with maple flavouring. The real stuff is sweet but tastes slightly smokey; the fake stuff is far sweeter and more sickly.

Dragoncry

I love to make this type of pancake. The lightest fluffiest recipe that we all love is really simple...
4oz SR flour
Pinch salt
1oz sugar (caster or gran)
1 egg
1/4 pint milk (or buttermilk if you make your own butter )

Just put them all in a bowl and whisk together till smooth then lightly spray a griddle pan and using a ladle make 8 pancakes for this amount. 50-60 secs first side till they bubble then flip over 30-40 secs.

This http://www.mrbreakfast.com/subcategory.asp?categoryid=1&subcategoryid=4 has loads of fantastic toppings from bacon to lemon and allsorts I would never have thought of ! It's great and hopefully you can find something tasty

DC xx

sonastin

My personal favourite is maple syrup, crisp bacon and strawberries. Not particularly seasonal for January but absolutely delish!

Big_Graeme

In the past I've added blueberries, chocolate chips, banana, apple, raspberries, blackberries, chopped cooked bacon to the pancakes themselves, all turned out very nice.

If you need to "extend" the expensive maple syrup then warm up some golden syrup and mix till you get the flavour you want.

rachbc

most fruits work, I also make sweetcorn pancakes to have with bacon

Josslette

Ooh Big Graeme, love the idea of adding bacon bits to the batter

How about making a raspberry sauce with frozen raspberries to pour on top, pretty cheap too!

I've seen Nigella make a blueberry syrup thing to go on top of pancakes, where she just simmered some blueberries in some maple syrup, until the berries popped and it thickened up.

Will see if I can think of some more ideas