I am not a pancake lover--I prefer a savory breakfast and kids that aren't sticky. I also don't like to smell syrup in a moving car or other close quarters, thanks to 13 years of riding a school bus with some p-cake lovin' neighbors. IHOP commericals can bring me to my knees. My kids do like pancakes, though, so a couple times a month we indulge them. My husband is a better pancake maker than me with a modified Martha Stewart recipe (much to his chagrin), and it provides consistent results.Why do we make pancakes from scratch? Well, most pancake mixes have a host of weird ingredients, and most boxed baking mixes contain trans fats. Also, this gives the kids a chance to measure, crack eggs, and mix more ingredients together.
Syrup? Again, lots of weird ingredients in pancake syrups. We use "tree juice", or maple syrup. Getting back to nature for my kids and my husband has taken a while, but now they seem to like the "tree juice" just fine.
Oh, and please add some protein to this meal (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, peanut butter, hard boiled eggs) lest your family slump over in a complete carb stooper, only to rattle the cages hungry in about an hour!
~Leslie
Buttermilk Pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour (I like to mix 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour with 1 cup whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups buttermilk OR 2 1/2 cups milk + the juice of 1/2 lemon (we rarely have buttermilk around!)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
oil for pan or griddle
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add beaten eggs, milk or milk/lemon juice, butter, and vanilla. Mix until just combined. Mixing too long will cause pancakes to be tough. Lightly oil a paper towel or coffee filter and rub in pan over medium heat. Place 1/2 cup batter in pan, and flip cake when the surface of the cake is covered with bubbles. Place finished cake on a platter. Oil the pan again, and add batter again. Continue until desired number of cakes are baked. Enjoy!
Modifications: Sprinkle blueberries on the top of the cake once batter is poured. Flip when bubbles cover the surface of the cake and blueberries begin to emit juices.
Busy Mom Tip: Save any extra pancakes or make a double batch for a quick reheat later in the week. Extra batter can be stored up to two days in the fridge.
Buttermilk Pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour (I like to mix 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour with 1 cup whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups buttermilk OR 2 1/2 cups milk + the juice of 1/2 lemon (we rarely have buttermilk around!)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
oil for pan or griddle
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add beaten eggs, milk or milk/lemon juice, butter, and vanilla. Mix until just combined. Mixing too long will cause pancakes to be tough. Lightly oil a paper towel or coffee filter and rub in pan over medium heat. Place 1/2 cup batter in pan, and flip cake when the surface of the cake is covered with bubbles. Place finished cake on a platter. Oil the pan again, and add batter again. Continue until desired number of cakes are baked. Enjoy!
Modifications: Sprinkle blueberries on the top of the cake once batter is poured. Flip when bubbles cover the surface of the cake and blueberries begin to emit juices.
Busy Mom Tip: Save any extra pancakes or make a double batch for a quick reheat later in the week. Extra batter can be stored up to two days in the fridge.
