The recipe in the video is pretty much like mine, with just a few changes: I stabilized the egg whites with a bit of cream of tartar, decreased the baking powder, took out the vanilla and salt, and increased the sugar and cooking time. I guess when I put it like that, I changed the recipe quite a lot. I was super happy with the results: the pancakes came out super fluffy and tasted almost just like what I remember!
There are two key things you need to concentrate on if you want to make fluffy pancakes at home. One is the meringue – be sure that it’s well developed but not over beaten. The second one is how you cook them. Most of the recipes I see online use either frying pans on low heat or the exact same machines that they use in Japan: flat griddles with giant lids.
My first couple of attempts were with a frying pan with a lid. These didn’t work out for me – the heat of my gas stove, even on low, was too high. I don’t have one of those fun griddles (even though I want one) so I went with what I found at home: my crepe pan! It has a super low setting that worked perfectly. I don’t have a lid for it but my giant wok lid worked in a pinch. Fluffy pancake success! Serve them up with a dusting of icing sugar, whipped butter and maple syrup. You’ll be in heaven.