Day 3: Puffy Pillow Pancakes from Isa Does It
New Year’s Eve seemed like a good day to have a fancy pancake breakfast, and these ones from Isa Chandra Moskowitz looked exceptionally fluffy and delightful. Isa Does It is probably the most beautiful cookbook in my collection. The photos, colors, fonts, and the overall layout of the book just make it a pleasure to read through. On top of that, it’s a hefty book with tons of quality recipes. I’ve tried a few which have become favorites - namely the Coconut French Toast and Down Home Curry - so I had high hopes for these pancakes.
I followed the recipe to a T and took my time doing so, really enjoying the process. The recipe is clear and easy to follow. Making sure to keep the batter lumpy is essential to getting the fluffiest possible pancakes, and Isa mentions this in the instructions. I think the inclusion of a vegan buttermilk (plant-based milk + vinegar) also helps with the texture. The resulting pancakes were, as promised, fluffy, light, and airy, but didn’t have much flavor on their own. Topped with fruit and syrup they were pretty good, but I definitely wasn’t blown away by the taste. I would make these again but play with the flavors a little bit - maybe a bit more sugar and/or vanilla so I’m not relying so heavily on toppings.
To be honest, next time I’m craving pancakes I will probably go back to using my all-time favorite pancake recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie. They are healthier and hold their own when it comes to flavor.
