Rosa Parks is celebrated for her role in civil rights, but she also had a pancake recipe that gathers interest. This handwritten recipe, found on the back of a bank deposit envelope, is preserved in the Library of Congress. Cook and author Carlena Davis shared her experience trying the recipe on her TikTok account, Spilling the Sweet Tea.
The recipe is called Featherlite Pancakes and includes the following steps: first, sift together 1 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Next, mix 1 egg, 1 1/4 cups of milk, and 1/3 cup of melted peanut butter along with 1 tablespoon of shortening or oil. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and cook the mixture on a griddle at 275°F. While the recipe is mostly standard, it includes the unique addition of melted peanut butter.
Adding peanut butter to pancake batter changes the pancake experience. Although many people enjoy peanut butter on top of pancakes, incorporating it directly into the batter is less common. Using peanut butter makes the pancakes richer and more satisfying, which can be beneficial for active individuals or growing children. Regular pancakes usually don’t have much protein or fat, so the peanut butter enhances the nutritional value.
The texture of pancakes can be influenced by various factors, including chemical reactions from gas bubbles, heat, and the thickness of the batter. The fat content in peanut butter may affect the density, potentially making the pancakes less fluffy, but it could also enhance the batter’s thickness, leading to a fluffier outcome. The results depend on how the other ingredients mix together.
In recent years, dietary trends have led to simpler variations of peanut butter pancakes. For instance, a quick recipe can be made with just one small banana or half a large banana, one egg, one tablespoon of peanut butter, and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. This mix can be blended and cooked like regular pancakes. Although these pancakes are denser and not as fluffy, they can still be tasty, especially for those who enjoy banana and peanut butter flavors.
Today, finding recipes online is quick, but it often involves reading personal stories before reaching the actual instructions. There is something special about a recipe written by hand, like Parks’ pancake recipe. It prompts curiosity about its history. Did she write it down from a friend’s cooking, or did she create it herself? While the answer may remain a mystery, the personal touch and slight messiness of her handwritten note indicate that it was cherished.
What’s your favorite recipe that has a story behind it?
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Source: Upworthy, by Annie Reneau