Like many dads, Chef Frank Proto, the Director of Culinary Operations at the Institute of Culinary Education, loves making pancakes. When asked to contribute a recipe for “The Dad Special”, he was happy to serve up his take. “The Dad Special” is a celebration of food, family, and fathers who cook. Featuring chefs, celebrities, and kitchen crazy dads, this collection highlights meals — from family secrets to quick kid delights — meant to honor time spent at the table. “My family loves my pancakes,” says Proto. “I make them often for any meal — we even had them for dinner last night.” This pancake recipe from Chef Proto yields about 25 and, boy, are they fluffy (you can thank the addition of apple cider vinegar for that extra oomph). While Proto acknowledges that the recipe makes more than four people can normally eat in one sitting, he notes that they’re ideal to store in the fridge and be eaten as leftovers later in the day. “They reheat well,” he says. “And they never last long.” Trust us, there’s a reason for that.
Chef Frank Proto’s Fluffy Pancake Recipe
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cup milk¼ cup cider vinegar3 eggs¼ cup vegetable oil or melted butter1 tbsp vanilla extract3 cups AP flour¼ cup sugar1 tablespoon of baking powder1 ½ teaspoon baking soda1 ½ teaspoon salt
Directions
Mix the milk and vinegar and let sit 5 minutes.Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.Place all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.Add the wet to the dry and mix until combined. Do not over mix, there should be a few lumps in the batter.Cook on a buttered griddle or pan.
