Pancake recipes tend to call for some sort of fat in the form of oil or butter, to keep the batter moist as it cooks. This recipe substitutes the regular vegetable/canola oil and uses sesame oil. If you’ve never had it before, it has a dark, rustic flavor and smells absolutely amazing, like pure concentrated sesame cookies. You can generally find it in every Asian market, and even most supermarkets now stock it, though it tends to be fairly expensive in regular stores. If you’re concerned about price, you can easily use oil blends, where its cut with canola oil. It keeps the same delicious smell and flavor, but is just a bit lower in concentration. The pancakes themselves taste like sesame cookies and have a nice enough zing to stand up against syrup.

Sesame Pancakes

• 1 cup flour
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg

OR

• 1 completed pancake mix batter, single serving WITHOUT oil added

•  2 tbsp sesame oil
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1. If using fresh or untoasted sesame seeds, quickly toast them in a small frying pan over low heat until golden brown.
2. Prepare pancake ingredients mixture in a large bowl and stir until mixed.
3. Add sesame oil into pancake batter and mix thoroughly. Whisk in the sugar until well-blended and finally stir in the sesame seeds.
4. Place a griddle on stovetop and begin warming on medium-low heat.
5. When griddle is hot, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter into 5” circles.
6. Let batter cook untouched for approx 1 minute, or until numerous bubbles form and the sides of the pancakes have set and congealed.
7. Flip pancakes over with a spatula in one motion.
8. After one more minute, press pancakes down lightly. If batter does not run, flip once again.
9. Cook pancakes on this side for 30 more seconds, then remove and place on plate.
10. Repeat cooking process for remaining batter.

Serves 2-3 people.