How many times, as a child, did I dream of tasting one of those soft treats that Doraemon loved so much!
During my teenage years, I met my friend Marika, who was passionate about Japan and the manga world, and I discovered that those treats are called Dorayaki, essentially Japanese pancakes filled with red bean paste (I usually fill them with hazelnut cream, but they’re also great with jam, honey, chestnut cream).
I adapted my friend’s recipe to my taste and renamed them Panchichi! That’s what my Christian called them ❤ when he was younger, his special way of saying “Christian’s pancakes.” Since then, in our house, they have remained the Panchichi, a sweet name that carries with it memories full of love and happy breakfasts.
And today I’m sharing with you the recipe for our Panchichi, hoping they become your favorite pancakes too!
If you’re looking for other breakfast or snack ideas, take a look here:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
To prepare Dorayaki you will need:
- 3/8 cup water (or milk)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
- as needed butter (to grease the pan)
- as needed hazelnut cream
Tools
For the successful making of Dorayaki, you’ll need a simple non-stick pan or a crepe pan
- Pan
Steps
Preparing Pancakes is not only quick but also very simple!
Break the egg into a bowl, beat it briefly with a whisk, add the water (or milk for an even more delicious result), incorporate powdered sugar and sifted flour a little at a time to avoid unpleasant lumps, the honey, the baking powder, and the tip of a teaspoon of vanilla extract, beat until you get a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
Take the pan, grease it with butter, and place it on the stove for a couple of minutes (it must be very hot for the Pancakes to turn out well), when it’s hot, lower the flame, take a ladle of batter and make just one test pancake.
When you see bubbles start to form on the surface, take a spatula and flip the Dorayaki to the other side.
Don’t get discouraged if your first Dorayaki looks pale, you’ll see that the next ones will have the classic brown color! … And after all, the saying goes “The first pancake is for the pan”! 😅
Cook the next ones in pairs, they’ll be perfect!
You’ll see what a fragrance fills the house, in fact, I love preparing them in the morning for breakfast… the kids wake up in a flash!
Once cooked, all that’s left is to fill them as you like… although I won’t hide that they are good to eat even plain, without any filling!
Storage and Tips
Pancakes keep at room temperature for one day, simply covered with plastic wrap.
To make more Pancakes, just double the quantities.
