The Secret Ingredient That Makes Diner Pancakes Style So Good

At any time when I flip via the cellphone book-length menu at a diner, I internally panic over whether or not to decide on one thing savory or candy. Then I bear in mind I can order “pancakes for the desk,” and whomever I’m with will fortunately share a stack with me. 

That’s as a result of diner pancakes aren’t simply any pancakes. Whether or not you want them plain with a pat of butter or studded with chocolate chips, these plate-sized muffins are fluffy and lightweight with an underlying sweetness and a toasted, nutty high quality. I figured that je ne sais quois was simply the work of nostalgia or a well-seasoned griddle. But it surely turns on the market’s a key ingredient that makes diner pancakes style so good, in keeping with 2022 F&W Finest New Chef Caroline Schiff: malted milk powder.

“Malted milk powder provides a toasty, roasty, nutty, barely caramelized taste to sweets,” says Schiff, who has plans to open her personal diner in Brooklyn. “Consider malted milk ball candies. It’s also a basic diner staple ingredient which is why sure issues at all times style higher at a diner — pancakes, waffles, milkshakes, and many others.” 

What’s malted milk powder?

Generally constituted of barley malt, wheat, milk, and a bit salt, malted milk powder is a non-diastatic malt powder, which means its enzymes aren’t lively and it doesn’t have leavening properties. This shelf-stable ingredient is more and more accessible within the baking aisle and on-line; manufacturers embrace Carnation and King Arthur Baking Firm. “It’s sort of a pastry chef secret, however I really feel prefer it’s changing into an increasing number of of an on a regular basis pantry merchandise,” says Schiff. 

Ovaltine, which is available in basic and chocolate flavors, is a malted drink combine that’s made with malted milk powder and different components together with added sugar. It’s very candy and may’t be used as a direct swap for malted milk powder, but it surely can be scrumptious in baked items and drinks like Chocolate Malted Milk. 

The right way to use malted milk powder

As a result of it’s not an lively ingredient, malted milk powder is simple to work with when baking at house, and also you typically don’t want to vary a lot about your recipe when incorporating it into baked items like brownies, cookies, and fudge, says Schiff. “For batters and doughs, I typically begin with about one tablespoon of malted milk powder for a cup of flour,” she says. “It does have a sweetness to it, so in batter, you may choose to drag again on the sugar ever so barely — about two teaspoons sugar for every tablespoon of malted milk powder.”

Schiff doesn’t recommend tweaking the sugar amount for cookie dough, nonetheless, since doing so can have an effect on the feel. 

Remember that malted milk powder can clump up simply if not included fastidiously, says Schiff. “Whisk it into the flour and different dry components first to evenly distribute. Or, for liquids, dissolve by whisking it into the warmed liquid, akin to warmed milk or no matter your recipe requires,” she says. “If I’m making a ganache or chocolate sauce, I wish to whisk it in because the combination involves a simmer, stirring till no clumps stay.”

Maybe unsurprisingly, there’s one other diner basic that’s the simplest way to make use of malted milk powder. Add a tablespoon or two to a blender with ice cream and milk, then merely mix the whole lot up for a diner-worthy milkshake.