AvoleenWrites

Hello there! I am back with another weekly snippet after a short break. Happy New Month! Can’t believe it’s already November. Time is flying!

Short Story Update & Joining Youtube

I finally submitted my short story last week Friday. I am proud of myself for participating in this even though I had only two weeks to get it done. Writing a short story reminded me of the endless possibilities that come with fiction. There really is no limit. I started out with so many ideas and didn’t know if I would be able to finish the story on time. Finally, I was able to boil down my ideas and write my short story. I was making changes even on the date of submission. Overall, I was pleased with the end result. I know there’s room to grow and I am looking forward to writing more. I believe fiction carries so much potential. Not only can you read it for pleasure but you can learn from it.

If you are interested in learning more about how I wrote my short story you can check out my Youtube channel – Avoleen Writes. Yes, you read that right. I have joined the red app. As much as I prefer writing, I realised that it was important for me to learn to express myself in other ways. I have no expectations from it. My plan is to show up as myself whenever I can and see where I end up. I think it will be a great learning experience for me. I want to get better at communicating verbally and so I guess that’s my primary motivation for posting on Youtube as well. I must say, the editing aspect of creating youtube videos is a learning curve. I am currently using Capcut, the free version, to edit my videos. Sometimes Capcut gives me issues though, so I am looking into alternatives. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comment section. 

Japanese Inspired Souffle’ Pancakes

Last week I attempted to make Japanese inspired souffle’ pancakes. They tasted good but were not as fluffy as I wanted them to be. Here is the recipe I used:

🥞 Ingredients (for 2–3 pancakes)

Dry ingredients:

• 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar (for the meringue)

Wet ingredients:

• 2 large eggs (separate yolk and white)
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) milk
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

For cooking:

• Oil or butter (for greasing the pan)
• 2 tbsp water (for steaming while cooking)

🧁 Instructions

1. Prepare the batter base

1. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
2. Sift in flour and baking powder. Mix until just combined (do not overmix).

2. Make the meringue

1. In a clean dry bowl, using an electric whisk, whip the egg whites until foamy.
2. Gradually add one tbsp of sugar at a time.
3. Whisk until the meringue is able to hold its shape but not look runny.

3. Combine the mixtures

1. Add ⅓ of the meringue to the yolk batter and fold gently.
2. Add the remaining meringue in two additions, folding carefully each time to keep it airy.

🍳 4. Cook the pancakes

1. Heat a nonstick pan over low heat and lightly grease it with oil or butter.
2. Use a spoon to pour in the batter to form the pancakes.
3. Add a splash of water (1 tbsp) to the pan and cover with a lid — this creates steam for fluffiness.
4. Cook for 4–5 minutes, then gently flip.
5. Add another spoon of batter on top if you want them taller, cover again, and cook for another 4–5 minutes.

🍯 5. Serve

Top with:

• Whipped cream
• Fresh berries
• Yorgurt

💡 Tips

• Low heat is key. High heat makes them brown too fast and collapse.
• Place the egg whites in the fridge to make them easier to whisk.
• Don’t overmix the batter or deflate the meringue.
• Serve right away — they’ll start to deflate after a few minutes.

That’s it for now. My quote for this week comes from the philosopher, Seneca. It goes like this: While we teach, we learn.