New Year Pancakes

Christmas is over and the New Year is almost here. Pancake's are a perfect way to ring in the New Year. Lucky for visitors to the Smokey Mountains there is no shortage of Pancake Houses and places to eat pancakes. The most diffcult decision regarding pancakes in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is which pancake house to try and then which pancake to order. This blog has only scratched the surface of the pancake restaurants and types of pancakes here in the mountains. We will continue our pancake journey in the New Year and our quest to bring a pancake festival to Pigeon Forge. Wishing you many pancakes and best wishes for the upcoming year!!!Check out my pancake board on pintrest http://.pintrest.com/jvhardin/pancakes

Merry Christmas

Today is Christmas Eve. I have spent the better part of the morning calling all my favorite Pancake Places in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville checking to see if any would be open on Christmas Day. Unfortunately for visitors but good for the employees, most restaurants in the mountains are closed on Christmas. One exception is the Partridge in a Pear Tree Restaurant ,2480 Parkway, Pigeon Forge,serving Christmas Dinner from 11 until 7 p.m. The Partridge will be serving from their Christmas Traditions menu which includes; Baked ham, roasted turkey, pork or beef for $24.99 for adults and $11.99 for children 3to 12 years old. I would suggest calling for reservations at 865-868-0575. Calhoun's in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg will also be opened on Christmas. Best known for their rib's, they will be serving from their standard menu from 11 - 10:30 p.m. Calhoun's in Pigeon Forge is located in the Walden's Landing Shopping Center at the Wear's Valley Intersection and in Gatlingburg at 1004 Parkway.Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Turtle Pancakes

After pancakes and sausage , bacon is the next most popular breakfast meat to be served with pancakes ( except in and around the north east where scrapple is king). Bacon is available at all the pancake houses in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and all around the Smokies. Many pancake houses also serve bacon pancakes, which usually translates into bacon pieces crumbled into the pancake batter.Last night I was watching Bacon Paradise on the Travel Channel and saw a California Restaurant's take on bacon waffles. Instead of crumbling bacon pieces into the batter, this innovative chef placed whole slices of bacon over the batter in the waffle grill. On the plate one could see the bacon sticking out of the sides of the waffle, perfect for true bacon lovers. So this morning I baked my bacon strips, made my pancake batter,and made a bacon pancake. When I turned my pancake onto the plate it looked like a turtle instead of the starburst I had envisioned. It's cute and funny and I can't wait for the grandkids to come for a visit so I can tell the we are having turtle pancakes for breakfast.

Pancake Lasagna

In my quest for pancakes I am always looking for new and unusual pancake recipes. This tease on the Food Network caused me to do a double take;"Next on the Best Thing I Ever Made...Lasagna Pancakes." Lasagna Pancakes??? Wow!!! Different. So of course I had to check them out. Chef Eric Greenspan came up with an all in one breakfast casserole that is perfect for feeding a crowd.The recipe calls for layers of pancakes, with sausage, bacon, eggs and maple bechamel sauce topped with shredded cheese. I haven't tried it yet but do find his recipe intriguing and worthy a mention in my blog. Let me know if you try it. Get the recipe: Pancake Lasagna @FoodNetwork http://shar.es/hrZtJ

Blueberry Balsamic Syrup

This is the final post for my entry in the Blueberry Blog Recipe Contest. If you have a blog and a recipe using blueberries you might want to check out the contest. It can be any blueberry recipe, I just have a pancake blog. I came up with this syrup to top my Homemade Blueberry Pancakes stuffed with Sweet Blueberry Cheese. It turned out so good that I am going to bottle it and give it out this year for Christmas. Blueberry Balsamic Syrup; 2 Cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, 1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar,1/4 Cup Sugar. Combine Blueberries,vinegar and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and cook until mixture is thick. Taste and add sugar if needed. This is nice not only on the stuffed pancakes, but cheesecake, pork chops and chicken breast. http://www.littlebluedynamos.com

Sweet Blueberry Cheese Filling

Here is my recipe to go with my Homemade Blueberry Pancakes that follows. 1 pound containter whole milk ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup sugar. Beat together. If you want the filling to be blue add the blueberries at this time. If you want a white filling add the blueberries just before filling the pancakes. Use the Sweet Blueberry Cheese to fill the Homemade Blueberry Pancakes.

For more on blueberries go to http://www.littlebluedynamos.com

Homemade Blueberry Pancakes

I am a competive cook. I love entering cooking contest both in person or on-line, so when I came across a cooking contest for blueberries and bloggers, I was in.As my blog is about pancakes and since blueberry pancakes are the most popular pancakes served here in the Smokies it should be easy. Right? I needed to be innovated come up with a blueberry pancake that stood out. Hmmmm. So here is what I came up with... Homemade Blueberry Pancakes Stuffed w/ Sweet Blueberry Cheese and Topped w/ Blueberry Balsamic Syrup The first thing I did was to start with the batter.If you have only had pancakes made from a box, homemade is far superior. This is my favorite Pancake Batter. Homemade Blueberry Pancakes 1 Cup fresh or frozen blueberries 3 large eggs, seperated 1/2 Cup melted butter 3/4 Cup milk 1 TBS. sugar 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp.baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Cup all purpose flour In a bowl whisk egg yolks, butter,milk,sugar,baking powder,baking soda,salt and flour together. Beat egg whites to a stiff peak. Fold into flour mixture. At this point you may add the blueberries to the batter,or do as I do, top each pancake with blueberries directly on top of the batter on the griddle. Cook the pancakes on a hot griddle using all the batter. I separate the pancakes between sheets of wax paper and cover with a clean dish towel to keep warm. These pancakes also freeze well to be warmed in the microwave on a minutes notice. Fill with Sweet Blueberry Cheese Filling and top with Blueberry Balsamic Syrup. For more information about the contest or about blueberries go to; http://www.littlebluedynamos.com

Mama's Farmhouse

In response to the title of my blog, " Where to Eat Pancakes in Pigeon Forge,Gatlingburg and the Smokies",the answer would be any place that serves breakfast. However if one is looking for a place that serves all you care to eat pancakes there is one place that comes to mind; Mama's Farmhouse. This family style restaurant is part of the Johnson Family Group that includes The Alamo ( my favorite steakhouse), Bennet's Bar-B-Que and Big Daddy's Pizza. Breakfast is served family style and all you can eat from 8 until 11. Selections change slightly but diners can count on either sweet potato pancakes or buttermilk pancakes with breakfast. And what a breakfast; Fresh fruit,bacon, sausage,chicken tenders,home fries, cheese grits,biscuit and gravy,scrambled eggs,baked cinnamon apples and peach or strawberry butter. I love the strawberry butter and it is available by the jar to take home. Breakfast is $9.99 for adults, Kids 6-12 are $5.99 and children under 5 are free. Mama's Farmhouse is located at 208 Pickle Street, Pigeon Forge, ( next to Alamo Steakhouse). 865-908-4646

Pancake Gifts for Christmas

Looking for a Christmas gift for the pancake lover in your life? How about a set of plates made just for pancakes? How cool is that !!! The plates were designed by artist Jon Wye and according to the description on the Uncommon Goods web site, " they have a raised edge that gently slopes the plate towards the diner and an ingenious reservoir for pooling the syurp". The plates come in a set of two for $50.00 plus shipping. Check them out at http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/pancake-plates-set-of-2 A less expensive gift and a great stocking stuffer idea is the pancake molds found at the Kitchen Niche Web Site. The pancake molds come in fun shapes including; a butterfly, flower, star,heart, rooster and even a gingerbread man. Cute for kids and adults, too. The pancake molds run under $10.00. Check them out at http://www.kitchenniche.com

Pigeon Forge on Dwellable

Gram Flour Pancakes on WBIR

The great thing about pancakes is the are perfect any time of day, not only for breakfast. Pancakes are like a blank canvas and can be flavored , filled or topped. They can be sweet or savory. Recently on WBIR , Knoxville, Vinu Batta from Taj Fine Indian Dining on Kingston Pike demonstrated how to make Besan Puda, a savory Gram Flour Pancake. Instead of using wheat flour, gram flour was the base, making it perfect for anyone with a wheat allergy. Spices from Indian were used and according to Vinu, the pancake can be topped with yogurt, chutney even catsup and served. To see how to make Besan Puda, go to WBIR's web site and go to recipes or go to http://www.wbir.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=2012785

Making pancakes for Sunday morning breakfast seems to be a popular way for Dad's to bond with their kids along with giving hard working Mom's a break from cooking breakfast. The only memory I have of my Father cooking was of him making pancakes every Sunday morning. A church I once attended holds a pancake breakfast every Shrove ( Pancake ) Tuesday. A member of the congregation, a Dad, always volunteers to make the pancakes for the kids. The entire church membership adults and children alike, look forward to his pancakes. Children run out of church immediately after service and into the parish hall to stand in line for these one of a kind creations. These pancakes are any shape but round. The kids ask to have their names spelled out in batter, their favorite cartoon character, sports team logo and anything else their little minds can imagine. This Dad stands there for hours with his bottles of batter, ready to face any challenge given to him. The only thing I ever made with pancake batter was Mickey Mouse and I was proud of that. Now along comes an even more ambitious Dad that makes pancakes in three dimensional shapes. Imagine a dinosaur pancake that the child can assemble like a puzzle before eating. How Cool!!!! Check out his book OMG Pancakes - 75 Cool Creations Your Kids Will Love by Jim Belosic ( Amazon $2.19 new ) or his web site http://www.jimspancakes.com . What a great gift for any pancake making Dad this Christmas.

Pancake Flavor Explosion

Suddenly it seems everywhere I look there is a sign outside a restaurant promoting a new flavor of pancakes. I Hop is promoting Red Velvet Pancakes, Flapjacks in Sevierville is touting Sticky Bun Pancakes while in Pigeon Forge they are tempting hungry visitors with their favorite Pecan Pancakes. Since we are just coming out of fall , many restaurants have been offering pumpkin, gingerbread and apple pancakes. The fun thing is there is no end to the flavors that can be turned into pancakes and that's not even counting the syurps and toppings to use on top. Today in restaurants, gourmet stores and supermarkets pancake lovers can choose from a wide variety of toppings including fruit based flavors to local specialities. I can't wait to see what pancake tempetation the Pancake Houses in the Smokies are going to come up with next.

Southern Living Pancake Article

I recently came upon an article on the web from my favorite magazine Southern Living titled ' The Smokies-Top Destination for Pancakes'. The article is all about how pancakes stack up b the numbers in the mountains.Did you know that according to Southern Living that 4,800 pancakes are flipped on a busy day at the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg? According to a Southern Living Facebook poll this is their readers top choice for pancakes in the region. I love the Pancake Pantry but I have to admitt to going only on weekdays in the winter to avoid long lines. Another Gatlinburg favorite the Atrium Pancake House takes 20 minutes to bake their Baked Apple Pancake according to author Cory Bordonaro. The Baked Apple Pancake is the Atrium's most popular pancake for those enjoying a leisurely breakfast. The second favorite pancake house in the magazine's facebook survey, the Log Cabin Pancake House in Pigeon Forge, goes through 24 gallons of made from scratch batter on a single weekday during the busy season. To read more interesting pancake numbers go to ; http://www.southernliving.com/travel/south-central/pancake-houses-gatlinburg-tennessee-00417000077683/ or Google: The Smokies-Top Destination for Pancakes-Southern Living

Buttermilk Syrup

The best thing about pancakes is that they are so versatile. One can have them for breakfast or dinner. They can be thin, crepes, or thick and hearty, like those served at Connie's or the Log Cabin Pancake House. Pancakes come in endless varieties including blueberries, apples, pumpkin, chocolate chips and more. And they can be topped with an un-ending variety of toppings. Recently in a very old Tennessee Cookbook I came across a recipe for Buttermilk Syurp. Here in the mountains it's all about Buttermilk. I already make my light and fluffy pancakes using buttermilk so I had to try Buttermilk Syrup. It is amazing and the perfect topping for pancakes in the mountains. Buttermilk Syrup; 1 1/2 sugar, 3/4 cup buttermilk,1/2 cup butter,2 Tab. corn syrup,1 tsp. baking soda. Combine and bring to a boil in a heavy saucepan.Simmer for 7 minutes. Remove from heat add 2 tsp. vanilla. Serve warm or cold.

Pancake Eating Challenge

Not far from Sevierville on the way to Knoxville on Chapman Highway is a local favorite known for its Pancake Challenge. On a recent visit my granddaughter deceided to take the challenge; Finish 3 pizza size pancakes before closing. If she completed the task grandaughter would win an embroidered shirt proclaiming she had survived Connie's Pancake Eating Challenge and her pancakes would be free!!! Easy enough , right? Thank heavens, at the suggestion of our waitress , grandaughter requested the pancakes be brought to the table one at a time. Need I say the pancakes weren't free but the pictures, laughs and memories will last a life time.

Connie's Place is located at 10231 Chapman Highway, Seymour, Tn. Connie's is open Sunday 7 a.m. - 2p.m., Tuesday - Saturday 6a.m.-2p.m. Closed on Mondays.Breakfast is served all day.Phone 865-577-1992.

Over the Top Pancakes in Southern Living Magazine

December's Issue of Southern Living came with a spread on over the top pancakes for Christmas morning. How much fun! SL magazine transformed six southern classic cakes into pancakes including ; German Chocolate, Carrot, Caramel, Hummingbird,Red Velvet and Italian Cream. The seven page spread show cases each pancake attractively stacked and comes with recipes not only for the pancakes but for the toppings or syrup that go along with the cakes. The Hummingbird Pancakes feature mashed bananas, crushed pineapple and toasted pecans in the batter, topped with a Cream Cheese Anglaise and layered with more bananas and fesh pineapple. The Carrot Cake Pancakes are neatly stacked large to small to resemble a Christmas Tree and layered with Mascarpone Cheese. How pretty for Christmas morning. I am still trying to garner support for a Pancake Festival in Pigeon Forge and maybe this article in Southern Living Magazine might help. Fingers crossed XXX

In my option Pigeon Forge is the pancake capitol of the world. Never have I seen so many places offering pancakes as I have in Piegon Forge. I recently sent a message to the Pigeon Forge Chamber of Commerce suggesting they hold a Pancake Festival during the month of February. Why February? Tradition. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the begining of Lent. It is the day that housewives use up the sugar and butter in their kitchens in anticipation of the Lenten Fast.Many communities across the country hold pancake suppers as part of this tradition. The most well known pancake day celebration in this country is held in Liberal, Kansas. The town host a pancake eating contest,a cook-off,a pancake supper and an International pancake flipping race with Onely, England. I would love to see Pigeon Forge hold a pancake festival. If you agree go to Pigeon Forge Chamber's Facebook page and let them know. Maybe together we can make it happen !