Woke up dreaming of floating on clouds but ended up in the kitchen instead. ☁️🥞 Whipped up some magical Japanese soufflé pancakes that are almost too fluffy to be real!
For the Pancake Batter:
Dry Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg yolk
Meringue:
3 large egg whites
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions:
Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together milk, melted butter, almond extract, and the egg yolk.
Make the Meringue: In another bowl, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. This takes about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer.
Combine: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the mixture of dry and wet ingredients until just incorporated, being careful not to deflate the meringue.
Cook the Pancakes: Preheat a deep skillet with a lid over low heat. Spray the inside of a 3-inch baking ring with nonstick spray and place it in the pan. Fill each ring halfway with batter, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Flip using a spatula and tongs, then cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden.
Serve: Immediately serve the pancakes topped with syrup and powdered sugar.
Tips for Perfect Soufflé Pancakes:
Meringue: Achieving stiff peaks in your meringue is crucial for fluffy pancakes. Ensure that your bowl and whisk are completely clean and free of any oil or water.
Folding: When combining the egg whites with the rest of the batter, use a folding motion to keep the air in the meringue. Overmixing will result in denser pancakes.
Cooking Temperature: Keep the stove on low heat to cook the pancakes thoroughly without burning the bottom. Patience is key.
Flipping: Use a wide spatula to lift the pancakes and ring molds, and flip them carefully to keep their shape.
