Mom’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes & Orange Syrup
Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite options for nights we’re busy, forget to get meat out of the freezer, or want to enjoy a meal without the kids whining. (I can’t be the only one that deals with that, right?) My mom’s buttermilk pancakes have the best flavor and texture, and adding orange syrup is the icing on the cake (almost literally)!
First, let’s talk about the star here, the pancakes. There’s two ingredients that make these different (and better) than the rest, buttermilk and whipped egg whites. Buttermilk is fairly traditional for pancakes, and there’s a growing trend of Japanese souffle pancakes using whipped egg whites, but using them both is what makes this specific recipe epic!
The Buttermilk…
Chances are you’ve had buttermilk pancakes. You’re familiar with the slight tang it adds. But, did you know the buttermilk is directly affecting the texture of your pancake? The buttermilk reacts with the baking soda and acts like a tenderizer, giving us suuuuper soft crumb structure! Pancakes that use buttermilk are lighter and more tender than those with regular milk. In a pinch, you can make your own buttermilk by combining 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
The Egg Whites…
The second secret is the whipped egg whites. By folding them into the batter, we get an extremely airy interior. The egg whites help create air pockets, making the pancake exceptionally fluffy! Once you try the buttermilk and whipped egg white combo, you’ll understand why this is a game changer to this classic comfort food!
(Right) Egg whites whipped to firm peaks and ready to be folded in
The Syrup Situation…
Taking the time to use buttermilk and gently fold in the egg whites is all for not if you sit down and they’re too cold to even melt room temperature butter. Anybody with kids know you get used to eating cold food, but pancakes no longer have to fall victim to that!
But, first… (channeling my inner Julie Chen there!) a personal note about maple syrup. Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth are not maple syrup. I beg of you to splurge on real maple syrup. Better yet – find a local farm and support them! I grew up on a farm full of maple trees and have experienced the entire sap-to-syrup process countless times. Now my brother has taken over the helm, (and doing a pretty good job, but don’t tell him I said that!) and I’m doing less experiencing, and more enjoying 😉 Pure maple syrup is worth every penny and then some! Continuing on….
Hot Food Hack #1…
Instead of serving everything separately, I like to heat the maple syrup and butter in a small pot together! Sometimes I take it one step further by adding a bit of orange zest, too! Even if the pancakes have cooled down, pouring on hot syrup-butter will warm them up! Plus, this also helps speed up the prep process – two condiments in one!
Hot Food Hack #2…
A couple weeks ago, I used this neat little microwaveable bag for taco Tuesday, and it kept our tortillas warm all the way through dinner! So, I figured – maybe it’ll work for pancakes, too?! Turns out it does! Put the finished pancakes in the bag while you cook the rest of the batter! If you’re using leftover or frozen pancakes, place them inside the bag and heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds! They stay tender and soft, but get and stay HOT!
With these hot food hacks, all the pancake flippers of the world finally have a chance of having a hot meal! If you made bacon for your pancake feast and have some left, (or even if you don’t, because who ever has “extra” bacon?) check out my Sweet & Salty Bacon Buffet! Stay tuned for how to take buttermilk pancakes and orange syrup to the next level, by building a Pancake Board!
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Mom’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes and Orange Syrup
Ingredients
Pancake
- 40 g egg yolk
- 316 g buttermilk
- 4 g baking soda
- 175 g all purpose flour
- 11 g sugar
- 3 g salt
- 3 g baking powder
- 31 g soft butter (not melted)
- 85 g egg white
Orange Syrup-Butter
- 300 g pure maple syrup
- 57 g butter more to taste
- 3 g orange zest optional, and can be varied to preferred flavor (lemon, coffee, fruit, etc)
Instructions
FOR THE PANCAKES:
- Separate egg white and yolk into two separate bowls. White in a small bowl, yolk into a medium bowl
- Add buttermilk and baking soda to egg yolk, and whisk well.
- Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into buttermilk mixture and lightly mix until flour is just moistened. Lumps are ok! Do not over mix!
- Fold in soft butter, until it's mostly incorporated, there should still be lumps!
- With a hand mixer or a whisk, beat egg whites to firm peaks. Add to batter mixture and fold in until white streaks are mostly incorporated. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Preheat griddle to medium
- With a large scoop or spoon, add rounds of batter to hot pan. (see note below about preparing pan)
- When bubbles form on top of batter, and bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes, flip. Cook for additional 2 minutes or until cakes are cooked through. Repeat until batter is done.
FOR THE SYRUP
- Combine syrup, butter, and optional orange zest in small pot.
- Warm on low while pancakes are cooking.
- Do no boil! If you boil maple syrup, it will get thick and can become bitter.
- Feel free to add more or less butter, depending how rich you like your syrup and pancakes.
