Murakami Kitchen: Coca-Cola Pancakes

As featured in: Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami

Fall and Winter are the Seasons for Pancakes!

Hello Harukists! Who’s ready for pancakes?

It feels as if it were February just yesterday and we’ve already found ourselves in October! My husband and I are snuggled on the sofa these days, getting inspired for some Murakami-style cooking.

It would be safe to say that fall is one of our favourite seasons. It is when we find excitement in homemade baking and take a step back from cold refreshers and salad bowls. For me, fall is winter’s way of opening the door a creak for Christmas baking– one of my favourite activities. But, you don’t need to whip-up an entire bowl of carrot-cake batter to enjoy fresh made goodness. We’ve got a pancake recipe to share that’s sure to satisfy your sweet-tooth!

This recipe aims to do two things: bring to life the Rat’s pancake ensemble and fulfill your regular pancake craving. It takes the compelling pancake & Coca-Cola coupling and advances it to the next level. Coca-cola syrup, anyone?

Bringing this Recipe to Life

When I first came across this recipe, I wasn’t sure we should even attempt creating it. I haven’t dipped my cookies in milk since elementary school, and I can’t see the excitement of dipping fresh-made pancakes in bubbling coke. Nonetheless, after convincing from my husband’s part, we sat down to enjoy a fresh batch of pancakes dipped in cold coke. Built on high hopes from the start, my husband was more let down than I was with the result. But if you’ve attempted making your own syrups at home, you wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of boiling the coke. At first, we considered the idea a bit mundane, so we ran to google. The fact someone already considered this and created a satisfying recipe was nothing short of a joyous relief. Thanks to Flair Project’s talented passion, we were able to bring this recipe to life. All you need are 1,052 millimetres of Coca-cola (made with cane sugar and imported from Mexico) and an optional 52 grams of white sugar. The full recipe is on their blog, so please be sure to check it out!

Pancakes from Haruki Murakami’s Hear the Wind Sing

These pancakes are from Haruki Murakami’s Hear the Wind Sing. Murakami’s Hear the Wind Sing is the first title in a trilogy consisting of Pinball, 1973 and A Wild Sheep Chase. These earlier works introduce Murakami’s writing style from early on in his career. If you haven’t already, I recommend you give this trilogy a read.

The pancakes are enjoyed by a character in the novel who wishes to be called by, “Rat.” Murakami writes:

The Rat’s favourite food was pancakes, hot off the griddle. He would stack several in a deep dish, cut them into four neat pieces, then pour a bottle of coke over the top. The first time I visited the Rat’s home, he had pulled a table out into the balmy May sunlight and was hard at work shovelling this concoction into his mouth. ‘This meal’s outstanding feature,’ he said, ‘is the perfect way it blends solid food and drink.'”

Hear the Wind Sing, p. 62

Let’s Jump Right In!

If setting pancakes in a pool of coke pleases your palate, that’s great, because your taste is likely similar to Haruki Murakami (or his characters). But for all those looking to fulfill your pancake cravings with sweet syrup and salted butter, you’re definitely in for a treat.

The pancake batter used for this dish brings you soft fresh pancakes that pair perfectly with this coca-cola flavoured syrup. No ingredient over-powers the other in this dish and the salty-sweet candy the elements play well together. So, grab your baking supplies, three bottles of Coca-cola, and butter– and let’s get started!

Coca-Cola Pancakes

Details

  • Servings: 2 servings
  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 eggs (50 grams each, 250 grams total)

  • Sugar 250 grams

  • Custard 80 grams

  • All-Purpose Flour 250 grams

  • Baking Powder 5 grams

  • Vanilla Extract 5 grams

  • Water 100 grams

  • Milk 200 grams

  • Butter to taste, room temperature

Directions

  1. Mix the eggs and sugar together in a bowl for 2- 3 minutes on high speed until a layer of bubbles forms on top.
  2. Add the custard and mix again on high speed for 2-3 minutes until a new layer of bubbles forms on top. Run the mixture through a strainer once to eliminate bubbles. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine sifted flour and baking soda. Set aside.
  4. An another bowl, combine milk, water, and vanilla extract.
  5. Add the flour and baking soda mixture over the custard, egg, and sugar mixture in the first bowl. If the flour hasn’t been sifted yet, sift while moving it to the other bowl. Mix the dry and wet mixture over medium-high speed. Begin on low speed and build up to high speed. The batter should have some resistance when it is ready.
  6. Add the liquid mix to the batter. You can incorporate this slowly, and build speed as you go. The final batter will be runny with some bubbles on top. Run the pancake batter through a sieve and set aside in the fridge for 20 minutes. Now is a good time to prepare the coca-cola syrup.
  7. Soak a paper-towel in olive oil to coat your on-stick pan. This will help ensure an even layer of oil on the surface.
  8. Pour the chilled batter over an evenly-oiled pan on low heat. Once bubbles form, the pancake is almost ready. but double check by peeking underneath. If the pancake colour is a golden-brown colour, it is ready to be flipped. The pancakes will need an average of 2 minutes on each side, depending on your stove.
  9. Repeat the process for the remaining pancakes. You should have twelve pancakes in total. Set aside to cool.
  10. Once your coca-cola syrup is ready and chilled, stack the pancakes and place a square of butter on top. Drizzle the coca-cola syrup generously over the pancakes, and dig in! Enjoy!

Coca-Cola Syrup Recipe Here.

More Delicious Recipes Here:

Murakami Kitchen: Cucumber Sandwich from Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Murakami Kitchen: Spaghetti from The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Check Out the Books:

Hear The Wind Sing

Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Read the Rat Trilogy:

Hear the Wind Sing/ Pinball, 1973

A Wild Sheep Chase

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