I’ve been a Studio Ghibli junkie for over a decade. Though every single Ghibli film is richly told and gorgeously animated, Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of my all-time favorites. There’s just something about that plucky little witch striking out on her own that captured my heart and never let it go. My preschooler loves it too, so much so that on the morning of his birthday, we watched the movie while eating pancakes—just like Kiki!
Just a few months ago, I learned that one of my favorite food-in-fiction bloggers, Diana Ault, was coming out with an anime-themed cookbook called COOK ANIME. I asked Diana if I could make a recipe from her book for my fiction-themed cookbook post series, and guess what: she said yes AND she told me it had a recipe for Kiki’s pancakes! 😀
I had never made Japanese style pancakes before, so I was a little nervous. Luckily, these pancakes were probably the easiest I’ve ever made. At first I was surprised to see them in the dessert section of the cookbook, but it all made sense after just one bite. Due to the use of cake flour, these pancakes are sweeter and have a more delicate crumb than the Western pancakes with which I’m familiar. Diana added lots of fun cooking and cultural notes to the margins, so I learned that Japanese cuisine makes important distinctions between pancakes and hotcakes, like the level of sweetness, savoriness of the side dishes/toppings, and when you eat them (such as tea time). I had fun learning about the cultural background of Kiki’s go-to food.
Also, did you know the movie is based on a book that got an illustrated English reprint this year? I’m learning all kinds of stuff from this cookbook!
Like I said, these are pretty easy, but as with most pancake recipes, be prepared to adjust the burner heat and cook time to suit your stove. I found a cast iron skillet with the max suggested heat and cook time was too much, so I switched to a regular pan and lowered the heat and time. After that, they were perfect! If you’re making these for the first time for more than one person, I recommend making a double batch so you can afford to burn a couple as you figure out what suits your stove best.
I recommend serving these little beauties with fresh berries and a just little syrup. You can add butter too, if you’re into that kind of thing, but I’m a heathen who doesn’t like melted butter on my food (I know. I’m AWFUL😆). I removed the pat of butter in the picture as soon as I was ready to eat.
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Kiki’s Hottokeki: Japanese Pancakes from the COOK ANIME Cookbook
“I mean, my customers. Jiji, if nobody comes in, I’m gonna have to eat pancakes forever!”
— Kiki’s Delivery Service
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp vegetable or canola oil
Makes 4 pancakes
INSTRUCTIONS:
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- In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate medium bowl, briskly whisk together the eggs and sugar until pale (about 2 minutes). Whisk in the buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla. Gradually pour the wet mix into the dry mix, whisking from the center to the edges until combined.
- On low to medium-low heat, heat a skillet or large pan and add the oil. Carefully spread it across the bottom of the pan using a paper towel.
- From a 3 inch height above the center of the pan, gently pour 1/3 cup pancake batter, spreading it out a little to make a perfect circle if needed. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until small bubbles form on top and the bottom is light golden brown, about 1-1.5 minutes. Remove lid and carefully flip the pancake. Replace cover and cook for 2-2.5 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown. Transfer the pancake to a serving plate and lightly cover with plastic wrap to keep in the moisture and heat.
- Repeat Step 3 with remaining batter.
- Serve to a young witch who just started her own delivery-by-broom business!
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For more fictional food, check out my cookbook, A LITERARY HOLIDAY COOKBOOK, which just came out on Tuesday! 🙂 It includes full menus of food for Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and New Years, including recipes for delectable gifts you can give your guests.
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