On Valentine’s Day while most people were having lunch with their sweetie, I was making pancakes for my angels. I have been a little of an overachiever lately. Two recipes in one class period and I think that I have gone a little crazy. I have used Bisquick for years because it is easy and students that are new to the kitchen can handle it. But, have you seen the price of Bisquick lately? It is sky high! And according to the paper today we are going to have a huge hike in most grocery items as well as clothing because of the weather. Anyway, I made one from scratch and the recipe from the Bisquick box. Guess what the scratch recipe won hands down. Not surprising to me.
Most of my students used the Pillsbury recipe. I had three that used Bisquick for the simplicity. In second block I had one group that really stood out. They added cinnamon to the batter and it really made a difference. You should try it! I was impressed.
Here is the recipe I used from Pillsbury. I really liked it. It is not a thick pancake, but very delicate and light.
Pancakes from Pillsbury
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Heat griddle to medium-high heat (400 degrees F).
- In a large bowl, beat eggs: stir in buttermilk and oil.
- Add remaining ingredients: stir just until large lumps disappear. For thicker pancakes, thicken with additional flour: for thinner pancakes, thin with additional milk. A side note here: I think that the batter should be thicker!
- Lightly grease heated griddle. A few drops of water sprinkled on griddle sizzle and bounce when heat is just right.
- Pour batter, about 1/4 cup at a time, onto hot griddle. Bake until bubbles form and edges start to dry: turn and bake other side.
Yield 16 4 inch pancakes
Tip : to prepare pancakes using milk, decrease milk to 1 3/4 cups, increase baking powder to 4 teaspoons and omit baking soda.
1st Block Kitchen 1
1st Block Kitchen 2
1st Block Kitchen 3
1st Block Kitchen 4
1st Block Kitchen 5
1st Block Kitchen 6
2nd Block Kitchen 1
2nd Block Kitchen 2
2nd Block Kitchen 3
2nd Block Kitchen 4
2nd Block Kitchen 5
Happy Cooking,
The Teacher Cooks
The Teacher Cooks 
Hi Mrs. Lupo,
I’m not surprised to discover that the scratch recipe won. The ingredients were fresher. Who knows how long that box was on the grocer’s shelf before you purchased it. The additives they add to the mix to keep it lasting longer always give an artificial taste. Showing your students that freshly made tastes better than a mix was a great idea. You also taught them that fresh costs less and that fresh is just as easy to make as a mix. Those are all great lessons from a wise teacher.
you have some great pancake makers in your classes.
the pictures are great! Your students are so creative!
it’s amazing how much the recipe and baker can affect a batch of pancakes! i LOVE the heart-shaped ones–they win hands-down as far as i’m concerned (although the smiley-face is cute…). 🙂
when I lived in Ohio in the early 90’s Bisquick was the only option.
I don’t know who added the cinnamon, Wanda, but I love the stack that 2nd Block Kitchen 5 did. Just pour some syrup over that and pass it to me!
Pancake is one of those things that is just so easy and quick. It’s really no trouble to whip up a batch from scratch. They all look great but the stack with the the banana and blueberries is really caught my eye
Homemade pancakes rock…but have you tried homemade syrup?
I learned that you’re not suppose to press down on the pancake.
Pancakes from scratch are much better then from a bisquick box. When doing this lab i learned that pancake batter should be a little lumpy and not all the way mixed
with pancakes i realized that you have to be quite percise in doing things, well with baking in general you have to be precise, thats why im taking the class cause im much more of a free-hand or eyeball cooking person im not much of a baker! 🙂
i learned how to flip a pancake and that your not suppose to press down on it.
i learned that you have to add enough baking powder to the mix or the pancakes will turn out really flat.
I really enjoy cooking in 1st period and love pancakes. I didnt eat my breakfast that morning just to have enough room for the delicious pancakes. I also enjoy my group very much.
I learned that you dont press down on the pancakes.
I learned that if you miss one ingredient you can ruin a batch of pancakes, and i also learned that you are not suppose to press down on the pancakes once you flip them.
I learned that if you don’t add enough baking powder your pancakes will be too flat.
pancakes from scratch are harder but taste better
I love pancakes but never knew how to make them. I learn in class so there for now i can go home and make them for me and my family.
i learned to make pancakes you have to have a good flipping hand.
I learned to make delicious pancakes! I learned how to make them light and fluffy but not too light to where it desolves in your mouth.
I learned that the more work you put into something, the better it seems to taste, never take the easy way out.
You dont press the pancakes when you are cooking them because they come out less fluffy :PP
I learned that to know if a pancake is ready to be flipped is when it bubbles.
I learned to not press down on the pancakes when you are cooking them because it will make them flat and not as fluffy.
I learned that I should put the blueberries in the freezer instead of letting them sit out and that they cook better from a frozen state.
Making pancakes from took longer than the buttermilk ones you buy from the store. To be honest all the time spent making it from scratch was worth the first flip you make on your pancake.
I learned that making home made pancakes can be a lot of fun, and very good if you do it the right way
i learned how to flip pancakes.
I learned that there are two recipies for this! I enjoyed this Bisquick better than the flour :). BUT, I learned that when it bubbles around the edges it’s done !
I’ve never made pancakes before and when my group and i did, i learned that you have to put your ingredients in a certain way. Otherwise, it might come out a bit differently than expected.
I learned that you didn’t have to use Bisquick when cooking pancakes.
i learned that y our not supposed to press down on the pancakes and that you need to follow the recipe carefully because if not they dont come out as good.
the bisquick pancakes had more structure than the ones made from scratch
while doing this lab, i learned that fresh is better!
ilearned that you have to watch the pancakes carefully and when they start to bubble and pop itstime to flip! no soon or they will still be uncooked
Cooking the pancakes was my favorite so far! I love my group! I have cooked pancakes a hundred times before, and I also work at IHOP so I am pretty good at making Pancakes. So I think the thing I learned when cooking this time, was Having fun with my group. It’s important to have a good time and get along. We have one so many of Mrs. Lupos challenges and I think it’s because we all get along so well. That, plus the food is what makes this class worth it! (:
i learned that making pancakes from scratch is so much more tasteful than the bisquick! i have never tried anything different
i learned that if you dont add enough baking powder your pancakes will be flat and non fluffy!
I learned how to make pancakes because I never had before.
I learned that you do not have to press down on the batter while flipping.
I learned how to make pancakes from scratch and how to flip pancakes!
These pancakes were GREAT. I never actually thought that making them from Buisquick would turn out as good as they did. But they turned out very well 🙂
This recipe is alot better then the Bisquick recipe. Even though its a little more time consuming, its worth the wait!
I LEARNED YOU SHOULDNT FLIP THE PANCAKES UNTIL THE BUBBLE RISE ON THE FACING UP SIDE!!!
the pancakes from scratch are so much better tasting than the ones from bisquick!! im really glad we got to make the ones from scratch.
I learned that makin pancakes from scratch is wayyyy better than from the bisquick box! Also you shouldn’t press down on them or you won’t have fluffy pancakes.
I learned that when you’re flipping the pancakes over, you have to do it quickly or it will be burnt on one side and gooey on the other.
I learned not to press down on the pancakes and i learned when to flip them at the right time!
I learned that you have to concentrate and be careful while flipping the pancakes to make sure you make a perfect circle. Making pancakes can be super tricky.
These pancakes were so good. I loved how crispy they were on the outside and soft on the inside.I learned how to make them without the being gooey on the inside.
i learned that you are not suppost to press down on the pancakes or it makes it very flat , and making them from scratch tastes way better than bisquick.
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Thanks a lot!