Orange Mochi Pancakes
We’re still in the middle of Pancake Week celebrations, but today also happens to be Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day), one of my favorite Japanese holidays. So to celebrate both holidays, I came up with a Japanese inspired pancake recipe—orange mochi pancakes!
Replacing some of the dry ingredients with mochiko (sweet rice flour) produces a fabulous every-so-slightly chewy pancake that is still fluffy and soft. Like most pancake recipes, the dry ingredients and wet ingredients are mixed separately and then combined to make these pancakes. I also separated the egg yolks and whites, and beat the egg whites, which I then folded into the batter, to create a lighter, airier pancake. Grated orange zest gives the pancakes a wonderful bright springy flavor.
I like making smaller pancakes (about 3-inches). I find that my girls’ eyes are bigger than their stomach. This way they can have “lots” of pancakes, but there is less waste!
These pancakes would be delicious with any toppings, but my personal favorites are powdered sugar, fresh berries, honey, or buttermilk syrup! You can also use the pancakes to make a fun and easy-to-make Japanese-inspired treat that I’m calling Nutella Banana Dorayaki. Head on over to my post on The Family Kitchen to check it out!
Whether you make them to eat with syrup, or you make them into dorayaki, I bet you’ll love them as much as my family does! Itadakimasu!
Makes approximately 16 (4-inch) pancakes
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup mochiko (sweet rice flour)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1. Whisk the dry ingredients:Whisk together the flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, allspice, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Mix the wet ingredients:Separate the egg whites into a medium-size bowl, and the yolks into a small bowl. Whisk the egg yolks with the milk, oil, and orange zest.
3. Combine the dry and wet ingredients:Stir the milk mixture into the the flour mixture until just combined.
4. Beat the egg whites:Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. (When the beaters are lifted, the egg whites should hold a firm peak that droops slightly at the top.)
5. Preheat the cooking surface:Preheat a griddle or large skillet to medium heat.
6. Fold the egg whites into the batter:Put about a third of the beaten egg whites on top of the batter. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. (Slice down through the center of the mixtures with a rubber spatula, then pull the spatula up along the side of the bowl and over the top, gently incorporating the beaten egg whites with the batter. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the process until the egg whites have been incorporated.) Add the rest of the egg whites and gently fold them in until no white streaks remain, taking care not to deflate the batter too much. Use the batter right away.
7. Cook the pancakes:Using a measuring cup or ladle, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the heated griddle/skillet. Repeat, spacing the pancakes at least 1 inch apart. Cook for 1 minute, or until bubbles in the batter start to pop and remain open on the surface of the pancakes. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook the other side 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm with desired toppings.
