Jiggly Japanese Pancakes - So Light and Fluffy, You Won't Believe They're Real!

Whenever we host any family gathering, these pancakes never fail to impress. Not only are these pancakes easy to make, they are also incredibly light and fluffy. It almost feels as though you are eating a cloud! As these pancakes couldn't get any better, they make for great gifts! We used to give these to out to our friends and all they all came begging me for a recipe. Please, do yourself a favor and make these pancakes!

Before making a recipe, knowing the ingredients and what purpose they serve is vital to learn how flexible you can be with the recipe! Want to add a little more vanilla, go ahead! Want to substitute all purpose flour for corn starch? Now that's a recipe for disaster. Here is a list of ingredients that go into these jiggly pancakes and how they help bring to you the flavor that you crave and love!

Butter:

Butter is the first ingredient in almost any recipe. It adds flavor and helps the dough roll out smoothly. If you don't have butter, try using oil in a 1:1 ratio instead. Note that butter is generally considered healthier than oil.

Sugar:

Sugar is added to give the cookies their characteristic sweet taste. Dark brown sugar gives them a deeper flavor than regular white sugar.

Flour:

Flour is added to the mix to make sure the dough stays solid. All-purpose flour works well for this. Bread flour contains less gluten, which means it might not work as well.

Baking Soda and Baking Powder:

Baking soda is added to the dough to create air pockets. These help the cookies rise while baking.

Salt:

Salt is added to the dough to bring out its natural sweetness. A pinch of salt goes a long way towards making these cookies perfect.

Eggs:

The whipped eggs are what gives this recipe its one of a kind texture. As you whip the eggs, so much air is combined with the egg whites. This allows the mixture to become so light and airy. Also, eggs are a great addition to baked goods because they add moisture and richness without adding too much fat. They also provide a subtle eggy taste that complements other ingredients.

Milk:

Milk is the liquid in recipes. It gives dishes body and thickness. Soy milk is a healthy alternative to dairy milk.

Mayonnaise: At first, this ingredient may gross some of you out, but mayonnaise is just eggs and oil! Mayo helps stabilize the pancakes, so they don't flatten and give the pancakes a light and smooth texture!

Ingredients:

• 3/2 cup Flour

• 3/4 cup Milk

• 4 tbsp Sugar

• 2 Egg Yolks

• 2 Egg Whites

• 3/2 tsp Baking Powder

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 1 tbsp Mayonnaise

• 3 tbsp Melted Butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 320ºF

2. In a large bowl mix the egg yolks, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, mayonnaise, milk, and melted butter.

3. In anther bowl, add the egg whites and sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks (until the whipped egg wont fall off of your whisk).

4. Lightly mix in a third of the whipped egg whites mixture into the other batter.

5. Pour the rest of the egg whites into the mixture and very gently fold them in.

6. On a lightly oiled baking tray, add in 2 tbsp of the batter.

7. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Feel free to eat these hot and enjoy!

Q&A

Can I use oil instead of butter?

Yes! You can use any kind of fat in baking (Generally, you should keep the butter to oil ratio 1:1 when substituting). Butter, shortening, oil, coconut oil, etc. All these fats have different melting points and will affect the texture of your baked goods differently. If you want to make sure your pretzels stay soft and chewy, go with a solid fat like butter.

If you're looking for a healthier alternative to butter, coconut oil is a great option. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, but unlike regular butter, it contains medium chain triglycerides (MCT), which are easily metabolized by the body. MCT's are great for weight loss, since they don't store in the liver like long-chain fatty acids do.

How long can these pancakes be stored?

According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), homemade baked products may be stored at room temperature for 2 - 3 weeks, can be stored for up to 2 months in the refrigerator, and up to 12 months if stored in the freezer!

I hope you enjoyed this Japanese pancake recipe, because I know I have!

Happy Baking!