Why Not Make Delicious Pancakes?

In their simplest form, pancakes have a relatively bland taste. However, sometime in the future, this quick breakfast bread has been given almost dessert status. Pancake recipes vary, but most include one to three tablespoons of sugar per batch, and often add flavorings we associate with sweetness, such as cinnamon, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Fillings and toppings, such as chocolate chips, nutella and whipped cream, decide the sweet fate of pancakes.

Bacon might find a place on this plate, but true savory breakfast lovers will have no luck with pancakes unless we get up and fetch pancakes in the other direction. Take courage and cook yourself a stack of delicious pancakes.

To make your pancakes more salty, omit a small amount of granulated sugar from the standard recipe, or cut it in half. For box mixes where you can’t adjust the amount of sugar, or if you like a playful sweet-salty combo, leave the sugar as is. Plain pancakes are not overly sweet, and there are plenty of opportunities to add a savory flavor anyway.

I used a mix that you can simply add to a box of water to make one batch of mixed herb pancakes. I poured one cup of the dry mix into a bowl, added a quarter teaspoon of fine sea salt, a few pinches of black pepper, dried green onions, and chopped fresh cilantro. I carefully mixed the herbs and dry ingredients and whisked in the amount of water indicated on the box. I added a little butter to the pan and frying continued as usual.

The pancakes were fluffy, well browned and flaunted their herbal, floral flavor in every bite. The best part was that I could eat them with scrambled eggs and Parmesan as a single, harmonious dish, instead of trying to separate them, as I usually do with sweet pancakes. Although I chose herb fritters, you can explore many ways to add ingredients. I look forward to mixing in a couple teaspoons of hot sauce or macha salsa next time. Try finely chopped dry meats, like bacon bits, or bake cheese pancakes topped with shredded cheddar.

Pancake batter is relatively light, so the only warning I’ll give is to start with small, finely chopped toppings so nothing sinks to the bottom and burns. Stick to about two tablespoons of savory toppings per batch of six to four inch pancakes. Otherwise go crazy. The following recipe uses a box mix, so there is a savory-sweet note. Try cream cheese capers (or a dollop of savory whipped cream ) over ready-made pancakes topped with capers and salmon for a fancy breakfast snack.

Pancakes with herbs in a box

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mix
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped herb mixture
• ⅔ cup of water

Mix the first four ingredients together in a small bowl. Whisk in water. Fry pancakes in a pan over medium heat with butter or vegetable oil. Enjoy with eggs, salmon, cream cheese, or alone as an appetizer.