best. pancakes. ever!

That’s quite the claim, I know. But I swear I can back it up.

We are putting the finishing touches on episode 2. I hope to have it up by tomorrow night, so stay tuned for that. It will be actual documentation that I do create food that is not baked. No body doubles, I swear.

So, I just have to say, I made the most delicious pancakes the other day I even surprised myself. Jim is a big time cinnamon lover, so I tend to use it in our pancakes, which are usually just plain jane pancakes which we dress up with toppings or sauces. His recent kick has been making cinnamon toast, a throwback to both of our childhoods. So I wondered, what if I made cinnamon toast pancakes? Would they just be cinnamon pancakes or something else?

Behold…

Oh, unassuming pancakes. Thou art but a pile of goodness, reserved for those with discerning taste and much love of beloved cinnamon, joined in matrimony with a light crunch.

That’s right. The cinnamon/sugar mixture slightly caramelized into a slightly crunchy thin coating, giving way to a fluffy, moist interior. A textural treat to tease the tastebuds. (Say that five times fast.) The delicate flavor of TJs new maple agave blend was the perfect addition.

I didn’t want cinnamon. I had to have fruit. Yes, I was sure I didn’t want cinnamon. No, Jimmy, I won’t want to steal your pancakes… like a foolish child who trades one quarter for three pennies, I had the flapjack slinger’s remorse. Sure, my vanilla pancakes with yogurt and fresh fruit were good, but that didn’t keep me from sneaking bites off Jim’s plate. Lesson learned: never say no to Cinnamon Toast Yum Pancakes!

Cinnamon Toast Yum Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/8 teas. salt
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups milk of choice
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 teas. vanilla
1 1/2 teas. cinnamon
1 tbsp. + 1 teas. sugar

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl combine milk, water, oil and vanilla and mix to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk until just mixed, it may be a little lumpy and that’s fine. Add more milk if needed. In a little bowl combine the cinnamon and 1 tbsp. sugar.

Heat up a griddle to medium heat. Sprinkle a small coating of the cinnamon mixture where you will put your batter, then ladle out the batter on top of it. Sprinkle the exposed side of the pancake with an equal amount. Flip pancake when edges look slightly firmed up and it bubbles a little in the middle. Overcooking can burn the sugar. Cook on other side until puffy bottom is lightly browned. Continue with the rest of the batter. Serve with margarine and syrup.

Yields: 6 medium sized pancakes

We had a nice mish-mash of food for our Memorial Day feast. The weather has been absolutely beautiful here in Portland and I was craving summery fare. And completely contrary to my normal leanings, I was craving hot dogs. If you know me, you know that hot dogs have never been something I normally consume, vegan or otherwise. Sometimes I’ll have a Field Roast sausage, but I usually won’t eat anything resembling a hot dog. A recent trip to Food Fight while on lunch had me contemplating the hot dog machine and I impulsively purchased one to chow down before heading back to work and the craving has been there ever since. Go figure.

Tofurkey hot dog with lemon-garlic roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus and homemade baked beans. Wow, I didn’t realize how much time it took to make baked beans, so next time I will start sooner and probably crock-pot it. We ate this meal on Sunday and it wasn’t all ready to go until 9:45pm! We are late eaters, but that’s even late for us.

I hope you all had a good long weekend, if you were so lucky as to have one, and took a moment to remember those we’ve lost.

Cooking show episode 2- next post!