Walnut Pancakes

by Jeff Sulman
(Dallas Texas)

When making pancakes, I was trying to imitate the "heaviness" of the nut bran pancakes at IHOP. I tried every type of flower imaginable - rice, buckwheat, spelt, rye - and varying amounts of baking sodas and powders.

One day I was adding walnuts and ground them up too long in the food processor and turned them into meal. I went ahead and poured them into the pancake batter anyway and it was fabulous. It gave them a nice nutty flavor and the heaviness that I was looking for.

If you want more nuttiness you can roast the walnuts in a pan before you grind them. Warning - you can roast the nuts after you make the meal but it is very difficult to avoid burning them.

Chef Todd Says:
Jeff - your walnut pancakes are a great example of the best discoveries made by accident. This is why I believe you should never get frustrated when you make "mistakes" in cooking. Cooking is like life: sometimes the path takes an unexpected turn. And also like life - sometimes it pays off to follow that turn.

I'll have to give that one a try. Thanks for the great idea - can't wait for breakfast!