American breakfast is probably one of the greatest accomplishments we as a culture have made so far. While the classic English breakfast includes bacon, eggs, fried tomatoes, and mushrooms, of all things (Ireland’s involves a liver dish), Americans have opted out of the savory category and embraced the idea of dessert for breakfast with open arms.
Quintessential to any Sunday morning, complete with whipped cream, maple syrup, and, if you’re lucky, chocolate chips, is a tall stack of hotcakes (flapjacks, pancakes, silver dollars, johnny cakes, whatever you wanna call ‘em). They are often flanked by their equally delicious cousins, the waffle–dubbed by comedian Jim Gaffigan as plaid pancakes–the cinnamon roll, or the French take on the pancake, the crepe.
Humans have been starting off their days with flapjacks since the beginning of time. While the earliest of pancakes might’ve resembled hardtack more than the the fluffy cakes we know and love today, the Greeks and Romans had figured out that adding a syrup to the mix (their choice? Honey!) made them a little more palatable first thing in the morning. Fast forward a few centuries to an Elizabethan household and you’d find them eating their spiced cakes with rosewater, sherry, and apples (oh my!). American Revolutionaries like Thomas Jefferson (his chef at Monticello had a special way of preparing them for the Patriot) could have had a stack of johnny cakes before going off to fight the Redcoats, as the first cookbook ever published in America featured not one, but two recipes for the beloved breakfast staple. Hotcakes also used to be featured prevalently on Fat Tuesday, as they were an easy and delicious way to use up all the eggs, milk, and butter forbidden during the Lenten season.
As you can clearly see, griddlecakes have a special place not only in our hearts as Americans (home to the International House of Pancakes), but in our shared human history on this planet. If you’re looking for ways to take part in this archetypal experience, look no further than the recipes below (or hit up Walker Bros., Egg Harbor, Wildberry, Denny’s, or, you know, IHOP, all famous for their flapjacks).
- Fluffy Pancakes Recipe (the classic)
- Todd’s Famous Blueberry Pancakes (thank you, Todd)
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Cinnamon Cream (ooh la la)
- Pumpkin Pancakes (because who doesn’t want some pumpkin pancakes to go with their PSL?)
