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What is the secret to IHOP pancakes?

Cut Out the Fat. IHOP doesn't use butter or oil on its griddle, because butter can give the pancake that webbed, lacy look, instead of a uniformly golden brown 'cake. If you need a little fat to keep the pancakes from sticking, Grimm suggests rubbing a little Crisco on a cold pan with a paper towel.

delish.com - IHOP Pancake-Making Secrets - Delish.com
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Pancakes are one of the first foods you learn how to cook, somewhere after mastering a perfectly toasted Pop Tart and well before you work your way to, say, deep-frying a turkey. But they can be deceptively difficult: How many times have you had to toss that first pancake? Or burned a batch? Or just wound up with a "meh" shortstack?

Marie Grimm, IHOP's vice president of culinary innovation, knows the struggle all too well—it's her job to make sure the restaurant chain churns out flawless pancakes all day, every day—so we turned to her to find out how you can get golden, fluffy flapjacks every time you whisk up some batter.

1. Don't Overwork It.

Over-mixing the batter is one of the biggest mistakes people make, Grimm says. Nobody wants to bite into a clump of flour, but that doesn't mean you should stir away all of the lumps—just break them down to small, pea-sized ones, and then your batter is ready to pour.

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2. Chill Out.

This tip goes against everything you've heard about baking, and it's a key difference between making pancakes and a layer cake: Your liquid ingredients should be ice cold. Warm (or even room temperature) oil, water, milk and eggs can heat up the gluten in the flour, setting off the chemical reactions that make pancakes light and springy prematurely, Grimm explains. The next time you start to make breakfast, just imagine Andre3000 whispering in your ear: "What's cooler than being cool? Ice cold!" Leave the ingredients in the fridge until you absolutely need them (and, in the meantime, shake it like a Polaroid picture, of course).

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3. Cut Out the Fat.

IHOP doesn't use butter or oil on its griddle, because butter can give the pancake that webbed, lacy look, instead of a uniformly golden brown 'cake. If you need a little fat to keep the pancakes from sticking, Grimm suggests rubbing a little Crisco on a cold pan with a paper towel. That way you're not using as much fat, but the pancakes will flip easily.

4. Make Sure Your Pan's A Total Hottie.

Just like you check your friend's beer goggles before letting her chat up a guy at the bar, you can't let your batter kiss the pan until you've scoped out how hot it is. And it should be 350 degrees F-worth, or roughly medium- to medium-high heat. Let the pan warm up for a few minutes before doling out the batter.

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5. Don't Just Look for Bubbles.

Everybody tells you to look for bubbles in the pancake batter as a surefire sign it's time to flip it, but that's not the only thing you should look for. The edges of the pancake will start to round out, forming an edge or lip, Grimm says. As soon as you see those and the first smattering of bubbles in the batter, flip it. Flip it real good. If you wait until you see a bunch of bubbles, the bottom will likely be overcooked, Grimm says.

6. Use Mix-Ins in Moderation.

Mix-ins make for more flavorful pancakes, but before you toss in anything, consider how much moisture you'll be adding to the batter. Overripe bananas and Nutella, for example, can make the batter a little runnier, making them harder to flip, Grimm says. Basically, the gooier the mix-in, the less of it you should use in the pancake—but that shouldn't stop you from piling more on top, once the hotcakes have been cooked.

7. Don't Wait to Serve Everyone.

One brunch party trick is to make all of your pancakes in advance, then store them in a 200-degree oven to stay warm, so you can serve everyone at the same time. That's thoughtful, but it could make for a less enjoyable meal, overall. The longer the pancakes sit, the more the gases within them are released, creating a tougher, flatter shortstack. Instead, make smaller pancakes, like silver dollar ones or pancake strips. This will let you fit more pancakes onto your griddle, so you can serve everybody at once—albeit in smaller portions—then return to the stovetop for round two.

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delish.com - IHOP Pancake-Making Secrets - Delish.com
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