When I lived on the North Carolina coastal plain in New Bern, a city that many people don’t realize was actually the state’s colonial capital well before Raleigh took that title, I used to eat regularly at a little downtown diner called the Pollock Street Deli. Sadly, the place no longer exists. But at that time the deli served many great dishes, including one of the best Crab Cake Sandwiches I’ve ever eaten, which is notable considering I’ve eaten some fantastic crab in bigger, more heralded places like Baltimore and Charleston. But, to refrain from further musings about food that isn’t a pancake, it’s quite possible that Pollock Street Deli’s best plate was the Silver Dollar Pancakes they served at breakfast.

Silver Dollar Pancakes are just small, half-size pancakes, probably just two or three bites for most eaters. Since they’re tiny in comparison to big pancakes, they’re easier to flip, easier to eat and perhaps get less dry than big cakes with more surface area. Of course, that last part is my own personal opinion and theory.

We make our own small pancakes at home now from a recipe we happened upon and altered slightly a while back. A cookie scoop, an underappreciated utensil in many home kitchens for its Swiss Army Knife bevy of uses, is perfect for scooping each pancake to the skillet or griddle for cooking.

Enjoy this recipe on a slower weekend morning with the family or a group of friends, and be sure you don’t miss the link to our easy homemade syrup substitute at the end!

 

Silver Dollar Pancakes

What You Need:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup milk

1 large egg

What You Do:

1. Place a baking sheet in your oven on 200 degrees or warm. Cover the sheet with a piece of foil to hold in the heat and a slight bit of moisture. You’ll place your done pancakes here while you cook the rest.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

4. Add the dry mix gradually to the wet mix and combine well.

5. Heat a skillet to medium, and rub it with an oiled paper towel.

6. Use a cookie scoop, basically a smaller ice cream scoop, to transfer small amounts of batter to your skillet.

7. Cook each pancake until bubbles appear, about 1 to 2 minutes.

8. Flip and cook on the reverse side for 1 to 2 minutes more.

9. Rub each pancake with a pat of butter, and place done pancakes on the warming sheet in the oven.

10. Serve 3 to 5 pancakes to each diner with syrup.

Your batter will yield about 20 small pancakes total.

#FoodieScore Pro Tip: If you don’t have pure maple syrup or basic pancake syrup, or if you just want to try something new, make this very easy brown sugar and butter syrup, which is included in our recipe for homemade oatmeal waffles!