Lacy Custard Pancakes with Milk

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make lacy custard pancakes with milk? Gather your ingredients. Sift the flour ahead of time. Wash the eggs well and pat them dry. Any fat content of milk works, and use refined, odorless vegetable oil. Adjust the sugar to taste — I cut it back to 1 tablespoon.

2. Step 2:

   

   Take a large bowl, crack in the eggs, and pour in the milk. Add the sugar and salt.

3. Step 3:

   

   Whisk everything together for 2 minutes, until well blended.

4. Step 4:

   

   Add all the flour to the egg-and-milk mixture and whisk it in well. You'll get a fairly thick batter, about the consistency of pancake batter. Whisk until there are no lumps left.

5. Step 5:

   

   Bring the water to a boil and pour the measured amount straight into the batter, whisking constantly as you go. The boiling water "cooks" the flour and instantly develops its gluten, which gives the batter its stretch. That's what lets you make the pancakes ultra-thin without tearing when you flip them.

6. Step 6:

   

   Now pour in the vegetable oil so the pancakes won't stick to the pan. Whisk the batter well. The batter is ready — no need to let it rest before cooking, since the gluten is already developed. You can start right away.

7. Step 7:

   

   Set a crepe pan over the heat. Crank it up high and let it get thoroughly hot. Add a little vegetable oil — I brushed it over the pan with a pastry brush. Heat the oil briefly over high heat, then lower the heat. Ladle in a portion of batter and swirl the pan to form a thin pancake. Because the pan is so hot, holes will start appearing across the surface right away.

8. Step 8:

   

   Cook the pancake until golden, then flip it to the other side. Stack the finished pancakes on a plate. You won't need to grease the pan for the rest — the oil in the batter is enough. Cook through all the batter this way. I got 9 pancakes.

9. Step 9:

   

   Look at those wonderful holes across the pancakes. If they suddenly stop forming, add a little more boiling water to the batter. And remember — the pan needs to be nice and hot.

10. Step 10:

    

    Serve the pancakes with honey, sour cream, jam, or berries. You can brush them with butter right after cooking to soften them, but we love them with that crisp edge. Enjoy!