Pancakes (Unlocked)

now with a breakdown of eggs

Originally published for paying subscribers March, 14 2021. Unlocked now with the addition of a guide to different ways of cooking eggs.

Pancakes are the best. Nothing encapsulates wholesome middle-American diners better than a gigantic stack of light and fluffy pancakes topped with half a stick of butter and drizzled with an entire bottle of maple syrup. Yum! (with a side of heart attack)

As a kid, hearing my mom say the words “What do you say we have breakfast for dinner tonight?” filled me with more joy than just about anything else. I knew exactly what was on the menu — scrambled eggs whipped within an inch of their life with a little bit of milk to make them nice and fluffy and a tall stack of homemade pancakes. This was a monthly dinner plan for us all the way up through high school.

But then, I went to college.

I didn’t have counter-space. I didn’t have kitchen utensils. And I didn’t have much extra money.

Not only that, I gained the dreaded “freshman fifteen.” If I was being a little more honest, I’d say that I gained the freshman twenty.

To be fair, those last five were gained the summer after freshman year when I worked in a bakery where I routinely forgot about the cookies I’d thrown in the oven because I was distracted by the other five things that I was stirring, rolling, cooking, and hopefully not burning. You better believe those batches of lightly burned sugar cookies were not going to go to waste. They went straight into my mouth.

So I didn’t have a way to make regular pancakes in college, nor did I feel like that would be the best choice for my health now that I didn’t have the calorie-devouring metabolism of my childhood.

Enter banana pancakes.

I don’t exaggerate when I say that these pancakes have quickly become one of the great loves of my life. They are such a wonderful mix of simple and scrumptious. These can be made quickly enough to fit into almost any morning schedule. And, to top it all off, they lack all the sugar and the flour without compromising any of the sweetness or fluffiness you’re undoubtably looking for if you’re choosing to make pancakes.

I would go so far as to say that these pancakes are better than traditional ones. The banana adds a creamy moisture to the pancakes that I’ve yet to seen topped by regular diner-style pancakes. This recipe can be made, guilt-free, in minutes for any meal you choose (Have them for dinner — I won’t tell.)

Banana Pancakes

Preparation time: 20 minutes                                                                      Servings: 2-3

You will need:

3 cups oats

2 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk

2 medium overripe bananas (they should have some spots on them)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts, or a combination of all of them! (optional)

Maple syrup for drizzling!

What to do:
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add all of the ingredients to a blender (or, if you have an immersion blender, you can just put them in a bowl and blend!) Blend until smooth – the oats should no longer be whole once the mixture is blended properly. Using a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop the batter onto the heated pan. Cook the pancake until bubbles start to form on the edges. Flip and cook until golden. Serve with maple syrup if desired!

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Unlocked Additions

Have you ever felt lost when a waiter asks “How would you like your eggs?” You’re not alone. Below is a guide to several of the best ways to order or cook eggs! Serve eggs in any of these ways alongside the banana pancakes for a more full breakfast.

Soft-Boiled

Boiled eggs are the only cooking method that doesn’t require cracking the egg before cooking it. Place the uncracked eggs in a pot of boiling water. For almost runny yolks, only cook the eggs for 3-4 minutes. For yolks that are still soft but hold together better, cook for 6-7 minutes. Cool the eggs in cold water and peel.

Hard-Boiled

Place uncracked eggs in a pot. Fill the pot with cold water until the water is 1 inch above the eggs. Bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the eggs cook for 8-10 minutes. Cool the eggs in cold water and peel.

Poached

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Turn the heat down to low. Crack each egg into a small bowl and then pour the egg quickly into the water. Simmer for about 2 minutes, and remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon.

This is a method that I have never mastered. It creates a delicious egg with a very soft texture and a golden, runny yolk that I highly recommend you order from a restaurant instead of attempting at home.

Basted

This method requires a cooler pan and some patience. Put about a tablespoon of butter per egg into the pan. Let it get foamy, then crack the egg into the pan. Once the egg starts to set, tilt the pan so that the butter collects together and you can get spoonfuls of melted butter. Continuously spoon the butter over the top of the egg until the whites are fully set. The butter will brown as you’re spooning it and give the egg a rich flavor.

Steam-basted

Steam-basted eggs are made similarly to basted eggs, but this method is less labor intensive. Crack eggs into an oiled pan. Add one tablespoon of water per egg to the pan and cover the pan with a lid. Cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.

Over-Easy

A simple, pan-made egg achieved by cracking an egg into an oiled pan and cooking it undisturbed until the whites have turned white and solid. Then flip the egg with a wide spatula and cook for about 30 seconds on the other side. Over-Easy eggs are called “easy” because of the runny texture of the yolk. Over-Medium and Over-Hard eggs are made through the same process. Just cook them for longer until the yolks are a more solid consistency!

Sunny-Side-Up

Sunny-Side-Up eggs are achieved by simply never doing step two of the Over-Easy method: just crack the eggs and cook them undisturbed in an oiled pan and don’t flip them!

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Thanks, as always, for reading,

Juliana Nicewarner

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