The Dish | Nana’s Fluffy Hots

I learned to love the art of cooking from my Nana, Melba Elaine Peterson. Born in 1923, to Swiss immigrants, she was a remarkable cook. In the kitchen, she was a perfectionist who kept her most special recipes top secret. I have deep and fond memories of watching her work in the kitchen, bringing to life a dish that was rich, memorable, and filled with flavor. Upon her passing over a decade ago, my mother found a box of recipe cards that were filled with handwritten instructions for her prized signature dishes. Some of my favorite meals to make are from this trove; they remind me of the power that preparing even a simple meal well, can live on in memory for a lifetime.  

Below is Nana’s recipe for her infamous “Fluffy Hots.” They are a staple in our kitchen most weekend mornings. Just like my grandmother did for me, I hope my making these pancakes helps to cultivate in my sons the same love for creating delicious meals for others. I can’t make them without thinking of her.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 cups white flour
• 1 tsp – baking soda
• 1 tsp – baking powder
• 1 Tbsp – sugar
• 1 tsp – salt
• 1.5 cups – buttermilk
• 3-4 Tbsp – salted butter, melted
• 3 eggs – separated yolk and white

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat griddle or large fry pan to medium heat. Make sure the pan is consistently hot before cooking — an even temperature cooking surface is key.  
• Sift dry ingredients – flour, soda, powder, sugar, and salt. 
• Separate egg yolks from whites.  
• In one bowl, stir together buttermilk, melted butter, and separated egg yolks.
• In another bowl, whip the egg whites until they have “wispy peaks” (Nana’s word’s). I use an electric hand mixer; it will take about 1-2 minutes.  
• Mix together the buttermilk mixture and the dry ingredients to make the batter. Do not over mix! 
• “Fold” the wispy egg whites, into the batter using a spatula.  They will be slightly lumpy, and this is perfect. 
• Add a ½ tbsp butter to your griddle and spread evenly over the surface. Add a ladle full of batter to the griddle.  Flip only after ~10 “bubbles” appear on the surface.
• Serve with your favorite topping (strawberries and powered sugar was always Nana’s favorite).