Japanese Pancakes
What you'll need
- 2 eggs
- Baking powder
- Flour
- White sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Whole milk
- A strong arm for whisking (or a mixer)
What you'll do (for 6 pancakes)
First, crack open two eggs. Separate the yolks and the whites. Put the whites in the freezer (yes) for around 10 minutes depending on your freezer - they should have a slush - like consistency and not freeze solid!
In bowl #1, whisk the egg yolks together with 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Add in 1/4 cups of flour (properly measured! Or use a scale - that's 34 grams), sifted, and one teaspoon of baking powder.
In bowl #2, start whisking the slushy egg whites. I hope for your sake you have an automatic mixer or a rotary mixer - if not, get ready for some serious whisking business. Add in progressivly (i.e. a bit at a time) 2 tablespoons of white sugar until you get a nice creamy meringue.
Add 1/4 of this meringue into the bowl with the egg yolks. Mix. Now add in the next 1/2 of the remaining whites. Fold gently (the goal is not to lose the airy consistency of the meringue). Add in the last 1/4 and fold gently (but briefly).
Now, heat a nonstick pan on low heat. Add in some butter or oil (butter is better) to create a nice layer between the pan and the pancake batter. Add in a spoonful of batter for each pancake you want to make. Ideally you should do 3-4 pancakes per batch. Once the first spoonful has been deposited, add an additional spoonful on top. The goal is to have a nice 'thick' batter stack.
Finally, add in some water (it will evaporate giving the batter the nice humidity it needs) and cover with a lid. Bake for 7 minutes, then flip the pancakes and bake for 7 minutes more.
Serve! They are really good with berries, maple syrup, and whipped cream. Bonus if you make thicker pancakes than mine :)