We whipped up this recipe with a nod to the good old days, mixing a bit of that pioneer spirit with the kind of breakfast that fuels your inner explorer. Named after the jaw-dropping Frederika Mountain and its icy companion, the Frederika Glacier, these aren’t your run-of-the-mill pancakes! Our Frederika Flapjacks are the kind of breakfast that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time and joined the ranks of the hardy folks who navigated these parts in the late 1890s.
So, let’s dive into how to whip up your own stack of Frederika Flapjacks, and start your day with a slice of history and a hearty helping of adventure!
Fredericka Flapjacks
Makes: 6-7 pancakes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of your favorite pancake mix (ideally one that only requires water)
- 2/3 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of precooked bacon bits
- 1/2 stick of butter
- Optional toppings: 1/2 cup of maple syrup, butter, honey
Cooking Equipment Needed: skillet or pot lid, spatula, optional big pot with insulator as a warmer
Instructions: Combine the pancake mix with water and stir – a few lumps will remain, but try to get it as smooth as you can. You can do this in the same ziplock bag you brought the dry mix in to keep dishes lighter. Let the mix sit for a few minutes while you set yourself up to cook, get your butter stick handy, and get a covered pot and insulator prepped to keep cakes warm before serving. You can wrap the pot in a puffy jacket as a homemade insulator.
Generously butter your pan at the start and between cakes. If you’re using a lightweight aluminum pan or pot lid, always hold the pan about 3” above your stove backcountry stove – the cakes are guaranteed to burn if you keep the pan right on the stove. If you’re using a castiron pan, you’ll be just fine right on the burner. Pour a 3-5” circle of batter onto the sizzling buttered pan and immediately sprinkle bacon bits all over the top. Once you see bubbles form and pop on the top of the cake, it’s ready to flip. They’ll only need a few minutes on each side to achieve that perfect golden brown color of doneness!
Keep your cakes warm until you are done cooking, or serve as you go!
Charles Hayes, Mark Russel, and Frederik Schwatka were the first white explorers to enter our area back in the 1890s. They mapped the region and named many of the peaks, rivers, and glaciers (sometimes after themselves). Travel in their footsteps on our Nizina Lake Packrafting Basecamp, Skolai Pass mini-Backpacking Trip, our Upper Chitistone Goat Trail, or our Source to Sea River Expedition and relive the rich history of the Wrangell Mountains!
updated 04/2024
