Use Leftover Champagne To Make The Fluffiest Pancakes

You wouldn't be wrong to assume that leaveners like baking soda and baking powder are the key to fluffy pancakes. They're responsible for making baked goods rise because they produce carbon dioxide when activated by heat or combined with liquid, and the same thing happens when they're added to pancake batter. But while baking soda and baking powder are effective leavening agents, they aren't the only ingredients capable of making pancakes fluffy. As it turns out, Champagne also works surprisingly well.

Champagne may be an alcoholic drink, but it also has something in common with baking soda and baking powder: effervescence. Like baking soda and baking powder, Champagne is a source of carbon dioxide. By adding it to pancake batter, you're adding gas bubbles, which in turn create pancakes with an extra light and fluffy texture. It works similarly to adding seltzer water to pancake batter, except it also introduces more flavor in the process.

Though Champagne functions similarly to baking soda and baking powder, it's still a liquid and isn't a one-for-one substitute for either one. Instead, it's much more effective to swap out the liquids in the batter, replacing either the water or milk in the original recipe with the Champagne. Sparkling wine will also work the same way since it also contains carbon dioxide, and in many cases is actually identical to Champagne except for the fact that it wasn't produced in Champagne, France.

If your Champagne has already gone flat, keep in mind that it won't have much of an effect on the fluffiness of your pancake, because, without carbonation, no gas bubbles can be introduced into the batter. However, the good news is that even flat Champagne can be useful in pancakes. If you combine it with sugar and heat it in a saucepan, it can be turned into a tasty pancake syrup.

When you add Champagne to pancake batter, not only will its texture be affected, so will its taste. Since some of the alcohol will burn off during cooking, Champagne won't give your pancakes a boozy flavor, but you will be able to taste the underlying sweet notes of the Champagne, which are reminiscent of fruits like citrus and peach. Demi-sec and doux Champagne varieties will yield even sweeter flavors in a pancake.

If you want the full Champagne taste, alcohol and all, to come through in your pancake, don't try to add more Champagne. All this will do is thin out your batter, and your pancakes won't be able to cook properly. Your best bet instead is to make a Champagne-infused whipped cream to top your pancakes with. Since there's no cooking involved when you make whipped cream, the alcohol won't evaporate out, leaving you with the full flavor of the Champagne. Even if you decide to only put it in the batter, however, it'll still take your pancakes to the next level. And what better way to enjoy last night's champagne than in your breakfast the next morning?