Tango Mango

Scroll to Info & Navigation

Aunt Janet’s pancakes This recipe’s been used in my family ever since a family vacation in Door County, Wisconsin, 16 years ago. One morning all the kids wanted pancakes and my sister in law, Janet, had memorized a recipe that she had made many times. They were a hit with everyone. Since then, nobody in the family’s bought pancake mix. I’m back in Door County visiting and my sister in law, Mary Jo, made these this morning. Ingredients: 1 cup flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 cup milk 3 tablespoons oil Directions: Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk the egg, milk and oil together in a different bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, until somewhat smooth. (Small lumps are okay.) Heat griddle and brush lightly with oil. When griddle is hot and a drop of water can dance on the griddle, spoon or ladle batter onto griddle. Turn when bubbles appear on surface. Cook second side until puffed and golden brown. Serve with real butter and real maple syrup.

Aunt Janet’s pancakes

This recipe’s been used in my family ever since a family vacation in Door County, Wisconsin, 16 years ago. One morning all the kids wanted pancakes and my sister in law, Janet, had memorized a recipe that she had made many times. They were a hit with everyone. Since then, nobody in the family’s bought pancake mix.

I’m back in Door County visiting and my sister in law, Mary Jo, made these this morning.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons oil

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk the egg, milk and oil together in a different bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, until somewhat smooth. (Small lumps are okay.)

Heat griddle and brush lightly with oil. When griddle is hot and a drop of water can dance on the griddle, spoon or ladle batter onto griddle. Turn when bubbles appear on surface. Cook second side until puffed and golden brown.

Serve with real butter and real maple syrup.

In honor of the potato harvest, I made latkes today. Fresh plums were a perfect accompaniment, along with a couple of dollops of sour cream. These are a great do-ahead dish, as they re-heat beautifully. You can fry them up and keep them hot in a warm oven for up to an hour. Or you can wrap them up and refrigerate them for a day or two, and then reheat them in a 375 degree oven to bring them back to their hot, crispy selves. These were about 4-inches across, but smaller ones work well, too. Little ones make great appetizers! Ingredients: 1 pound of peeled potatoes (1 large) 1/2 onion, peeled 1 egg 1/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt Fresh ground pepper Canola or peanut oil for frying Special item needed: Cheesecloth Directions: Using a box grater, grate the potato and the onion. Drape a large square of cheesecloth over the colander. Put the grated potatoes and onion in the colander. Bring edges and corners of cheesecloth together and squeeze as much moisture out as you can. Set back in colander. Lightly whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Give the potatoes another big squeeze just in case there’s still more liquid, and then add the grated potato and onion to the egg mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine. Heat about 1/4-inch of oil in a large skillet or wok. When a small piece of potato mixture sizzles vigorously and floats to the surface, (325-350 degrees F), create small balls of potato mixture and carefully drop into hot oil. Flatten with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook in oil until golden brown and crispy on one side and then turn. Cook other side until the same. Drain on paper towels. 

In honor of the potato harvest, I made latkes today. Fresh plums were a perfect accompaniment, along with a couple of dollops of sour cream.

These are a great do-ahead dish, as they re-heat beautifully. You can fry them up and keep them hot in a warm oven for up to an hour. Or you can wrap them up and refrigerate them for a day or two, and then reheat them in a 375 degree oven to bring them back to their hot, crispy selves.

These were about 4-inches across, but smaller ones work well, too. Little ones make great appetizers!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of peeled potatoes (1 large)
  • 1/2 onion, peeled
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Canola or peanut oil for frying
  • Special item needed: Cheesecloth

Directions:

Using a box grater, grate the potato and the onion. Drape a large square of cheesecloth over the colander. Put the grated potatoes and onion in the colander. Bring edges and corners of cheesecloth together and squeeze as much moisture out as you can. Set back in colander.

Lightly whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Give the potatoes another big squeeze just in case there’s still more liquid, and then add the grated potato and onion to the egg mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine.

Heat about 1/4-inch of oil in a large skillet or wok. When a small piece of potato mixture sizzles vigorously and floats to the surface, (325-350 degrees F), create small balls of potato mixture and carefully drop into hot oil. Flatten with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook in oil until golden brown and crispy on one side and then turn. Cook other side until the same. Drain on paper towels. 

The stuff that dreams are made of I made these for breakfast this morning and they tasted so yummy I’ve been thinking about them all day. The subtle flavors of the orange zest and vanilla make these pancakes heavenly. I used fresh strawberries (see earlier post) along with some frozen raspberries from our garden last summer. They’re so easy to make we may start a new weekend tradition! Oven pancakes with fresh fruit, adapted from a recipe from Ina Garten. Ingredients: 1 cup each raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or other fresh fruit 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 teaspoons for the dishes 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt Maple syrup and confectioners’ sugar, for garnish Directions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Gently combine the berries and sugar in a small bowl and set aside while you make the pancakes. Place 4 (6 to 7-inch) individual gratin dishes on two sheet pans. Place 1 teaspoon of butter in each gratin dish and set aside. Lightly whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk and combine. Add the flour, vanilla, orange zest, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and the salt and mix just until smooth without lumps. Place the gratin dishes in the oven for 3 minutes, until the butter is hot and bubbly. With a pastry brush cover the bottom and sides of each dish with melted butter. Immediately divide the batter equally among the gratin dishes and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. (Watch pancakes carefully.) Divide the berries among the dishes, drizzle with maple syrup, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve hot. NOTE: I only had 2 gratin dishes of the right size, so I used those plus a regular sized pie plate, and divided the batter accordingly. (The larger pan had twice the amount of the smaller ones.) It worked beautifully.

The stuff that dreams are made of

I made these for breakfast this morning and they tasted so yummy I’ve been thinking about them all day. The subtle flavors of the orange zest and vanilla make these pancakes heavenly. I used fresh strawberries (see earlier post) along with some frozen raspberries from our garden last summer. They’re so easy to make we may start a new weekend tradition!

Oven pancakes with fresh fruit, adapted from a recipe from Ina Garten.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup each raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or other fresh fruit
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 teaspoons for the dishes
  • 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Maple syrup and confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Gently combine the berries and sugar in a small bowl and set aside while you make the pancakes.

Place 4 (6 to 7-inch) individual gratin dishes on two sheet pans. Place 1 teaspoon of butter in each gratin dish and set aside.

Lightly whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk and combine. Add the flour, vanilla, orange zest, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and the salt and mix just until smooth without lumps.

Place the gratin dishes in the oven for 3 minutes, until the butter is hot and bubbly. With a pastry brush cover the bottom and sides of each dish with melted butter. Immediately divide the batter equally among the gratin dishes and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. (Watch pancakes carefully.) Divide the berries among the dishes, drizzle with maple syrup, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve hot.

NOTE: I only had 2 gratin dishes of the right size, so I used those plus a regular sized pie plate, and divided the batter accordingly. (The larger pan had twice the amount of the smaller ones.) It worked beautifully.