Bonjour one and all!
Today we have a showdown just in time for Valentine's brekkie in bed choices. Two pancake mixes enter the kitchen ring but only one can be declared a champion of scrumptious, golden, syrup slathered, gluten-free pancake goodness!
In the left corner we have Bisquick mix with it's familiar, yet unassuming yellow box, promising the taste of memories which some enjoy and some hope to forget.
Next, in the right hand corner we have the less seasoned, soft & newly changed package that houses Pamela's Gluten-free mix, with interesting ingredients and high performance hopes!
Now for the commentator pre-battle comments...
I will have to cop to the facet that we were not a Bisquick Mix home in my childhood, my mother made everything from scratch and didn't see the need for boxed mixes for things as easy to make as pancakes or biscuits. I do recall some boxed cake mixes and Pilsbury pop cans of delight here and there but never pancake mix. I think the first time I tried Bisquick or Auntie J mix was at a friend's house, in the morning after a sleep over. It was disappointing and tasted funny, kind of off, pasty, and I did not like the way they sucked up syrup. All I kept thinking was,
"What is wrong with you Mr. Pancake? Your syrup suckage is killing my happy time, pancake morning dreams."
I never looked back, that is, until I became unable to eat gluten. I went through a serious pancake withdrawal depression. As a chef, I was stubborn about switching over, irritated and impatient with the weirdness of gluten-free flour and it's ability to not produce results one is used to with gluten protein players. I gave up at one point and found myself in the meager gluten-free section of the super market, eyeing and finally buying a gf boxed pancake mix.
Now let me tell you, I have tried my fair share of gluten-free pancake mixes, each one more disappointing than the last; I was not too keen on trying more.
Then I discovered Pamela and was so happy because pancake loveliness had finally returned to my life!
I have been at the store recently and saw that Bisquick was on special and it was gluten-free, I thought, why not? So, I am giving you the mix throw down/low down and am not mincing words. Here goes...
Firstly, the mixes were very easy to prepare, not many additions, and the batters were comparably thick. I prefer a thinner pancake so I added a bit more liquid to get the consistency I wanted.
Then I proceeded to heat ze pan and have frolicking flapjack fun! Say that 3 times fast.
Here's what the Bisquick mix one's look like, I found they were very pretty:
Bisquick produced a very fluffy, light and super bubbly pancake. They were quite tasty with a slight aftertaste of starch; not off-putting but I noticed a little something. They did do the syrup suckage thing but not as badly as the original version used to do. All in all, it was an acceptable flapjack, it reminded me a bit of the Mc Donald's pancakes, not as rubbery or pasty but close in texture and taste. They use a mix as well, so this is not surprising. I know it's not the best comparison but Mickey D's was what first came to mind when I tried them.
Next, Pamela's.
Her mix cooked a bit differently and I found the final product was better for it. I swooned for the slightly crisped edges that were also a bit puffed, the smooth, rich taste, and delightful texture. They did absorb syrup but the pancakes tasted so good with it that I did not mind, and I even added some frozen cut cranberries when I cooked a few, to off-set the sweetness and I was not disappointed. My family and friend's really enjoyed these and even went out to the stores to buy their own mix from Pamela, and they do not eat gluten-free! Poppa Bear buys this whenever we are together, we eat these together with fruits and turkey bacon-which I scarf shamelessly; and somehow the mix magically vanishes when I am away.
Pamela's was hands down the winner in this taste test and that is with good reason, if you look at the ingredient's listed in Pamela's mix versus Bisquick's, you will quickly understand the why. Pamela's uses almond meal, a better variety of gluten-free flours, and buttermilk powder. This means something else though, you will pay more for this product and I have noticed a big price jump since 2016 arrived. As our planet suffers, so too does our food supply and it is impacting our wallets at the check-out; whether you buy gluten-free or not, I am sure you have noticed. Apparently this trend will continue. With regards to pancake mixes, I prefer to pay a bit more for quality, support businesses that are using ingredients that matter to me. It means I just choose to indulge a bit less often. If your budget is tight, bisquick is still a good choice, however, Pamela's is one to aim for when you can.
Keep an eye out for this winner in your health-food stores and let me know which you prefer in the comments section down below. I love to hear from you!
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