Pancake failure

Years ago I gave up trying to make pancakes or waffles, because they just never came out right. They were always too gooey or too burnt, or both. Gross. I even returned a waffle maker once, because of course it wasn't user error -- it was all the machine's fault!... until I tried to make pancakes and they still didn't come out right. That was the end of that. What a shame too, because I absolutely love Vermont Maple Syrup, and we have a whole jug of it in the fridge now after my recent trips to the Green Mountain State. But when am I ever going to use it if I can't even make pancakes or waffles?

Pancake batter is my Everest! I must conquer it!

Last week I found this recipe on quarrygirl.com for "vegan mac and cheese pancakes." It looked absolutely amazing. Especially because I love love love mac and cheese. And of course I love pancakes... if I could only make them.

Here's the recipe from quarrygirl:

cheese
daiya mozzarella shreds
daiya cheddar shreds

noodles :
1/2 box macaroni (i had a bit left over)

cook noodles according to package instructions – drain, then return to the pot. toss with about 1/2 tbsp earth balance

batter
1 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil
1 1/4 – 1 1/2 c plain soy milk*

* i wanted a fairly thin consistency to the batter, but use your best judgment.

whisk dry ingredients together, add oil and soy milk, mix again. batter can be a little lumpy, nbd.

heat a griddle over med-high heat, spray liberally with canola spray. i ended up using probably 1/3-1/2c batter and my mac-cakes were huge. anyway. pour batter on to the griddle, letting it sit for ~20 seconds. sprinkle a small handful of noodles into the batter. cover with a fair amount of cheddar and mozz shreds. cook about 3-4 minutes or until the bottom is lightly browned. flip, cook until cheese is slightly browned. respray the griddle with canola oil as needed.

As expected, when I tried to make this recipe, the batter was gooey and it didn't get crispy like I was expecting it too. I am very frustrated with this fact that I can somehow not cook ANY kind of pancakes -- savory or sweet. What am I doing wrong? I always follow the directions to the T, so I don't get it. This time I even used an electric skillet, so I couldn't blame the inconsistent heat of our weird, flat-top stove. I don't know anymore. I can't figure it out.

Check it out: Looks good right?

Yeah, not so much.

I tried two pancakes with different batter consistencies before just giving up. Not worth it. Great idea, but I can't figure out the execution. I was so disappointed, because I really wanted these to work out! W didn't seem too thrilled either, although, like a good husband he said they were delicious.

I saved the rest of the noodles and cheese to make regular mac and cheese later this week.