Scrambled Pancakes

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I realized the other day that I am not original.

Back in my undergraduate years, I had this amazing takeout napkin business plan for a breakfast restaurant that was going to be great! The college town I was living in at the time didn’t have a pancake house. And again, it was a college town. In fact, the nearest breakfast joint was a good 35 minute drive in another town.

It was perfect. I could open up my pancake house around noon, hire a few college students (which were a dime a dozen) to work six hour shifts in the kitchen and on the floor serving, and then because the town had this magical thing called curfew (which they were strict on), we’d close up shop at midnight. Then do it all over again the next day.

Pancakes and potatoes are cheap, as well as most breakfasts foods. The labor force was there, and there was no competition to speak of. Not to mention, breakfast not at breakfast time is just kind of a thing for college aged kids. Why? No one knows. It just is.

I was positive that a pancake place was the winning ticket restaurant business. And I was going to do it (though if you haven’t already guessed it, I had, and still do not have, any business experience) – but no matter. It could be done! And the top-of-the-menu item for this pancake house dream: Scrambled Pancakes.

Now, if you’ve heard of scrambled pancakes before, then the idea of scrambled pancakes might not sound all that exciting. For me then (and for me up until a few days ago), I thought my idea of scrambled pancakes was completely unique. And downright genius. So did all my friends, who all chuckled at my silly late-night snacking business planning.

It was going to be awesome.

Of course, the question that you may be wondering – the question that all of my friends asked – why scrambled?

The answer to that, though slightly embarrassing, is quite simple. Because as a college student and novice cook, I couldn’t flip a pancake to save my life.

I know, I know. Making pancakes is like the simplest thing a person can make.

Which is true. Especially if you are making pancakes from a bag of pre-made, store-bought pancake mix where all you have to do is add water.

In fact, making pancakes and flipping them is so simple, I’m pretty sure all of children have been fully capable to man the kitchen on pancake breakfast mornings by age 3. And as toddlers could all manage to flip their pancakes and keep them looking, well, like pancakes.

Why my toddlers can manage to do something that as a young college student I couldn’t manage to do remains a mystery to me.

My attempts back in college more closely resembled scrambled eggs than a golden stack of pancakes. Hence was born my ingenious business plan. I would call my restaurant, simply, Scrambled.

But alas, it never to came to be.

A History of Scrambled Pancakes

Fast forward to a week ago when I discovered that scrambled pancakes are actually a thing. And they weren’t invented by college student who struggled to flip a pancake.

Kaiserschmarrn is an Austrian sweet dish that is – you guessed it – a scrambled pancake that originated around the time of Austria’s Emperor Franz Joseph I (1830–1916).

According to the Google, Kaiserscharrn translates, essentially, to “emperor’s mess”, stemming from the two words schmarrn meaning mess or crumbs, and Kaiser meaning emperor. The story of Kaiserscharrn has caught popular attention in recent years, most versions relaying a tale of Franz Joseph visiting a peasant home while out hunting, and his hosts, not knowing what to serve the emperor, threw together a simple meal of milk and flour, topped with a layer of stewed fruit. And not surprising to anyone in the modern world who loves pancakes – the emperor liked it! So much so, that the dish became a popular hit in Austria and Germany during the mid 19^th Century, and continues to be a cultural favorite still today.

Whatever the story behind this peasant-gone-royal dish, I think it is safe to say that is both simple and delicious. A fun, yet elegant meal focused on classic staple ingredients, milk and flour.

And to think all those years I thought I had come up with something so clever and original. Oh well. I suppose if I was unintentionally making a traditional European food that millions of people on the other side of the globe know and love … since that obviously doesn’t make me original, can I at least claim to be classic?

The Recipe

These Scrambled Pancakes use my Basic Pancake Recipe, but with the addition of one egg (making it two eggs in the recipe) to help give an additional fluffy-ness in the scrambled process, and a splash of vanilla for a little added sweetness.  

Top with powdered sugar, berries, or drizzle with maple syrup or honey. These scrambled pancakes are a delicious treat any day of the week. Not to mention, your kids are going to love yet another fun way to eat the breakfast staple, the beloved pancake.