Proper Pancakes w/Caramelized Apples

Dan and I said while we were in England, a person could make a lot of money by opening up a pancake house there. Of course the English love their traditional breakfast, but some proper pancakes every once in while wouldn't kill you. We actually found a place that served pancakes on Sundays the last weekend we were there, but they were served on ice cold plates and cold by the time they reached us. The flavor was good, but how hard is it to warm a plate? I came across a recipe for pancakes while we were in England, but the serviced apartment we stayed in did not have all the proper tools for cooking. I bought certain things, which we then donated to a thrift shop on our departure, but I knew I could not keep buying kitchen items for a 3 month stay. I decided to work on the recipe and this is what I came up with. They are really good! No need for butter or syrup to top these because the caramelized apples are perfect as a topper.

Proper Pancakes w/Caramelized Apples

for the pancakes:
135g/ 4 3/4 oz. plain flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. caster sugar
130ml/ 4 1/2 fluid oz. milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla paste
Cooking spray

for the apples:
1 apple, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Turn the oven on to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Lightly whisk milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla paste in medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and beat with a fork until batter is smooth. Let stand a few minutes. Heat a non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat. When the pan is heated ladle batter into pan and flip when the top bubbles. The batter may seem thick, but that is what you want. Place finished pancakes in warm oven until ready to serve. (Also warm plates in the oven.)
When the pancakes are prepared, add butter, apples and brown sugar to same pan. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Serve apples on top of pancakes.

Koffiehuis de Hoek - Amsterdam

 

 

On Sunday morning in Amsterdam, Dan wanted to go to a little place we saw the day before. He noticed they had pancakes and he was craving them. The Koffiehuis de Hoek is a small place with about 10 tables and we just happened to walk in when they had one open. We sat and looked at the menu, Dan asked the waitress about the pancakes and she told him they were not as thin as crepes and not as fluffy as American. He ordered the Pannekoeken Natural for 5.75 euros and I chose the Ham and Cheese Omelet for 6.75 euros. We both had orange juice, me a large for 4.30 euros and Dan had a small at 2.40 euros. The oranges were freshly juiced at the counter and the juice was very good. The pancake was another story. It was like a cross between a custard and a pancake. It was served with powdered sugar and maple syrup and neither of us cared for it. The omelet was good, it was full of sliced tomatoes, which cooled it down and they weren't ripe so I just pulled them out. Not a bad place, just not the greatest.

 

They are located at Prinsengracht 341 1016 HK Amsterdam  020-6253872

 



Cosmopolitan Restaurant & Bar Leeds

Yesterday morning, Dan and I decided to head over to the Cosmopolitan Restaurant to have breakfast. We had not yet tried eating breakfast out since we arrived here and thought we would give this place a chance. Bad choice!! They serve a traditional English breakfast in the form of a buffet. The food was okay, but there was never any there. Scrambled eggs, beans, fried bread, tomatoes, mushrooms, sausages, bacon, pastries, hash browns, juice and toast. For the price of 10 pounds .95 it is all you can eat. The problem was, there was never any food and there were only 4 or 5 tables being served. The space is really nice, but the staff seemed like they had just walked in off of the street and were really of no help. We won't be going back, which is too bad , because they are located just across the bridge from our apartment. I never really appreciated IHOP until now. Maybe we should open up a traditional American breakfast place!
2 Lower Briggate Leeds www.cosmopolitanleeds.com/restaturant/