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PancakeA pancake, sometimes called a hotcake, is a batter cake fried in a pan or on a griddle with oil or butter. Pancakes can be eaten hot or cold, and are generally filled or topped with a sweet or savoury sauce or condiment. Most types of pancake batter contain some kind of flour, most commonly wheat flour, or buckwheat flour, and a liquid ingredient, such as water, milk, or ale, although pancakes are sometimes made with cornmeal in the U.S. and potato pancakes are also popular in various European countries, such as Germany and Poland. In some countries, such as Egypt, Canada and the United States, pancakes contain a raising agent, such as baking soda or yeast. The batter of the Ethiopian injera is left to ferment in order to achieve a similar effect. The oldest surviving pancake recipe in the English language dates from the 15th century. British pancakes have three key ingredients: plain flour, eggs and milk. The batter is quite runny and forms a thin layer on the bottom of the frying pan when the pan is tilted. It may form some bubbles during cooking, which result in a pale pancake with dark spots where the bubbles were, but the pancake does not rise. These pancakes may be eaten sweet with the traditional topping of lemon juice and sugar, or wrapped around savoury stuffings and eaten as a main course. When baked instead of fried, this batter rises (despite having no raising agents – it rises because the air beaten into the batter expands) and is known as Yorkshire pudding. British pancakes are similar to French crêpes, and Italian crespelle, but are not "lacy" in appearance. However, in Scotland pancakes, known as Scotch pancakes or drop scones in the rest of Britain, are more like the American variation and are served as such (see below) Canadian or American pancakes contain a raising agent, usually baking powder, and different proportions of eggs, flour and milk which create a thick batter. This batter is either spooned or poured onto a hot surface, and spreads to form a cake about 1/4 or 1/3 inch (1 cm) thick. The raising agent causes bubbles to rise to the uncooked side of the pancake, at which point they are ready to be flipped. The resulting pancakes are very light in texture and are often served at breakfast topped with maple syrup and butter. In the U.S., pancakes can also be referred to as hotcakes, griddlecakes, or flapjacks. A typical portion served in restaurants is 3 to 4 pancakes of more or less 14 cm diameter. A smaller number may be ordered by requesting a "short stack". Diners usually serve 1 or 2 pancakes of more or less 25 cm diameter. A "silver dollar" pancake refers to a pancake about 7 cm in diameter - these are usually served in groups of five or ten. Pancakes similar to the North American pancake but smaller (usually about 3.5 in / 9 cm across) are known in Britain and Ireland as Scotch pancakes or (after the traditional method of dropping batter onto a griddle) drop-scones, and in Australia and New Zealand as pikelets. They can be served with jam and cream or just with butter. In the U.S. these are known as "silver dollar pancakes" since the individual pancakes are each about the size of a U.S. silver dollar (with Eisenhower on the face, no longer minted). In Scotland, they are rarely served as a breakfast item, but are more commonly considered a dessert item. They are available plain, or as a fruit pancake with raisins baked in, and larger thinner crumpets are made from the same recipe by watering down the mix. The griddle is generally called a girdle in Scotland. Check out the following recipes that are tagged "Pancake":
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