The Leaning Tower of Pancakes

I wasn't planning to post today, but I just had to share the hilariously ginormous stack of pancakes I cooked up this morning. Lila and I were making, "Whoa, whooooaaaaaaaaa" noises as I carried the wobbling stack to the table for a photo. It reminded me of the poem "Pancake?" by Shel Silverstein.

PANCAKE?
by Shel Silverstein (from the book Where the Sidewalk Ends) 

Who wants a pancake,
Sweet and piping hot?
Good little Grace looks up and says,
"I'll take the one on top."
Who else wants a pancake,
Fresh off the griddle?
Terrible Theresa smiles and says,
"I'll take the one in the middle."

This is the Perfect Pancakes recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's fabulous cookbook, Vegan Brunch (published by the Perseus Books Group).

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup water
1 to 1 1/4 cups plain rice milk or soy milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cooking spray

• Preheat a large skillet over medium heat for at least 2 minutes (and up to 5 minutes).
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
• Make a well in the center and add the oil, water, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix just until ingredients are combined. A few lumps in the batter are just fine.
• Spray the pan with a light coat of cooking spray (or a very light coat of oil). Pour pancakes one at a time and cook until bubbles form and the top looks somewhat dry (about 3 minutes). Flip over and cook for another minute.
• Serve!

My Notes:
I substituted white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour and it worked great.
I also substituted coffee liqueur for the vanilla extract and that was divine.

If you haven't already purchased every cookbook available from 

Isa Chandra Moskowitz, I suggest you do so a.s.a.p.

I have yet to be disappointed by a single one of her recipes.

Cookbooks by Isa Chandra Moskowitz:

Appetite for Reduction

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

Vegan with a Vengeance

Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar

Vegan Brunch

Vegan Pie in the Sky

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook

Lastly, I just want to applaud Nickelodeon for turning off
the shows on all of their channels and, instead, posting this...

Click to learn more about the Worldwide Day of Play!

Banana Pancakes

If you have some funky bananas laying around, these pancakes are a great alternative to banana bread! My daughter loves them. Observe...

 She's got a little "bed-head" going on, but you get the idea.

BANANA PANCAKES

from Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food

3/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 C whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 C plain soy milk or oat milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 medium ripe banana, mashed

Vegetable oil for the pan

• Combine the flours, salt, baking powder, and sugars in a medium bowl. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the soy milk, vanilla and banana.
• Stir together just until combined. Some lumps are okay. 
• Oil a griddle (we used a cast-iron skillet) and warm over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Ladle the batter onto the hot griddle and cook until bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. 
• Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.