Question: My experience with pancakes has been that they are thick and sit like a lump in your stomach for about four hours. However, at the Averil Conwell dining room at Mirror Lake Inn at Lake Placid, N.Y., my husband ordered "Adirondack flapjacks," and I hesitantly took a taste. Pancake heaven. Please acquire the recipe. -- Barbara Ann Martin, Ballston Spa, N.Y.Answer: Forests in shades of green you didn't know existed surround the crystal clear Mirror Lake and charming hillside mansion, Mirror Lake Inn, a lakeshore resort in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains in the Olympic village of Lake Placid.
Lake Placid is considered the Winter sports capital of the world, but there are endless activities for diversion and adventure at and nearby the four-season resort. Pick a golf course, scenic or championship, and swing away. Fly fishing the Ausable River challenges avid anglers, and hiking the trails of Whiteface Mountain yields breathtaking views.
The casual elegance of the inn's intriguing interior decor -- part of the inn is an original Adirondack Great Camp Room of a bygone era -- beckons guests to relax, socialize and dine on world-class cuisine. Call them flapjacks, pancakes or griddlecakes, Americans love to breakfast on tall steaming stacks with warm maple syrup dripping down the sides.
"The rich batter is best made just before serving," says Inn Executive Chef Matt Baldwin, who whips up a scratch-batch each morning based on the original Inn recipe, "but in a pinch the batter can be made the night before."
For uniform "flaps" use a measuring cup designed for dry ingredients and grease the cup, inside and out, to enable the batter to slip out easily.
After a fun-filled day, guests anticipate gourmet supping in the elegant Averil Conwell Dining Room or the Cottage, a cozy dining room and waterfront deck overlooking Mirror Lake and the Adirondack High Peaks.
ADIRONDACK FLAPJACKS
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup Canola oil
1 cup pure maple syrup, warmed
Pour buttermilk in a large mixing bowl; add egg yolks and vanilla and whisk to combine. Continue whisking while gradually adding melted butter. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In small bowl of mixer, whip egg whites until frothy; gradually add sugar and beat to soft peaks. Set aside.
Add dry ingredients to wet and stir to combine. Fold in egg whites.
Brush preheated griddle with Canola oil and pour batter, 1/4-cupful per flapjack, on griddle. Cook 1 minute or until air bubbles form. Flip and cook 30 seconds or until cooked through. Serve with maple syrup on the side.
Yields 8-10 large flapjacks.
Diane Howard is a columnist for Hunt House. America a la Carte welcomes recipe requests. Send the complete address of the restaurant along with your name, address and phone number to: America a la Carte, P.O. Box 5994, Austin, TX 78763-5994, or fax 1-512-453-2145. E-mail amercarte@aol.com.