Pancakes are often thought of as an American invention. There is some truth to that notion if one considers the pancakes served at American restaurant chain establishments, but in truth, pancakes are very old. The Russians have had their blinis; the French have enjoyed their crepes. And the Italians have savored their crespelles for centuries. The Chinese have been making pancakes, both thick and thin, for at least 2,000 years.
This following recipe for Sour Cream Pancakes has its origins in Eastern Europe and probably dates back to the invention of sour cream and other cultured milk products, like kefir and yogurt, at least a thousand years ago. It is an incredibly simple recipe, and is not more difficult to make than American pancakes from a box of commercial pancake mix.
Sour Cream Pancakes Offer Nutritional Benefits
Unlike American pancakes, which consist mostly of flour, these pancakes use a greater quantity of eggs and very little flour. The eggs, together with the sour cream, make these breakfast pancakes high in protein and low in carbohydrates, an excellent prescription for high-protein diets. One serving (half the recipe) is about 450 calories—positively slimming when compared to the typical American breakfast which usually tops 1,000 calories.
Sour Cream Pancakes
Makes 4 dozen pancakes
Adjust the amounts of the ingredients accordingly to make as many pancakes as you like. The success of these pancakes depends on the thickness of the batter and the temperature of the griddle. You may have to cook a couple of batches to master the technique, but once you have acquired the skill, the pancakes will come out cooked perfectly every time.
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more to thicken batter, if needed
- 1 cup sour cream
- Pinch of salt
- Milk, for thinning batter, if needed
- Unsalted butter, for greasing skillet
- Cinnamon-sugar, maple syrup, fruit preserves, fresh fruit, for serving (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, sour cream and salt. The pancake mixture should have the consistency of a crêpe batter. If the batter is too thick, add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to the batter until the desired consistency is achieved. If too thin, add 1 tablespoon flour at a time to the batter until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Preheat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Grease hot skillet with butter. Pour batter onto griddle or skillet in small dollops to make pancakes about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Cook on one side for about 30 seconds. Using a heatproof spatula, carefully turn pancakes to cook on opposite side. Cook 15 seconds and remove pancakes to a warm serving platter. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Serve pancakes immediately or place them on a baking sheet and transfer to the preheated oven to keep warm until ready to serve. Garnish pancakes with cinnamon-sugar, maple syrup, fruit preserves or fresh fruit.
Michael Burwen - 30+ years as a business/market analyst for high-tech industry. Long-time interests are wine/food, woodworking, and consumer electronics.
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