Pennsylvania Dutch flannel cakes

Flannel cakes are a type of pancake that is special because the egg whites are beaten separately and folded into the batter resulting in a lighter and softer pancake.

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There's also no sugar in the batter, making these less sweet than a traditional pancake. I made these flannel cakes after finding them in one of my Pennsylvania Dutch cookbooks (pictured below). 

Since I was making an old-fashioned recipe, I decided to beat the egg whites by hand, which was great exercise for my arm. My slightly adapted recipe made about 14 flannel cakes. I served them with some frozen blueberries I cooked with a bit of water and honey along with some butter. Maple syrup would also be great.

These cookbooks came from our family - one from my grandmother and one from my husband's grandparents. They are full of old-time recipes from the Pennsylvania Dutch, who are the early German-speaking immigrants to Pennsylvania. 

This is where my grandfather's family is from (and probably why my grandmother had this cookbook). I love flipping through old cookbooks like these and finding recipes to try. You can bet I'll be making more soon.

Flannel cakes
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for griddle
fruit, maple syrup, etc. for serving
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

Place the egg whites in a medium bowl and the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl. 

Using a whisk (or a hand mixer) beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks with the buttermilk and butter until well combined. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the stiff egg whites. 

Heat a griddle until hot and lightly grease with butter. Pour the batter onto the griddle using a 1/4 cup measuring cup. When the flannel cakes begin to bubble and turn golden, flip and cook until the other side is golden. Repeat until all batter is used. 

Serve hot topped with your choice of fruit, maple syrup, butter, etc.