Serving Up {Breakfast}: Buttermilk Pancakes

At any given time if you were to open my refrigerator you would find at least one, if not two, containers of fresh buttermilk.  It is a mainstay for breakfast at our house.  Buttermilk Pancakes and Buttermilk Waffles are each on our menu at least once a week.  I grew up thinking that you could substitute the dry buttermilk powder for the real thing.  I guess technically you can, but the end result knows that you cheated.  Promise me that if you have never used real buttermilk that you will try it.  I am convinced that you will be converted just as I was.

I used to think that making pancakes from scratch took too much time out of our busy morning routine.  Not the case.  This recipe comes together in minutes.  If time really is the issue, you could combine all the dry ingredients the night before in one bowl and the wet ingredients in a bowl left in the fridge.  Then you would have no excuse.  Personally, I think there is no excuse for NOT making these regularly.  I hope you agree.

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES     

printable version

2 cups flour

2 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

1/4 cup oil

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk, eggs and oil and whisk together.  Pour liquid into the bowl with the flour and mix until just combined, being careful to not over mix.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto a heated griddle, flipping when bubbles begin to form.

Serving Up {Breakfast}: Buttermilk Waffles

 

We are a hot breakfast family.  Pancakes, eggs, waffles, oatmeal - we try to send the kids off with something more than just cereal.  As a result I have a wide variety of recipes for the basics.  One of my favorite "variations" of pancakes and waffles are recipes that call for buttermilk.  And while I spent the first ten years of my marriage believing that dry buttermilk powder was an adequate substitute, I have been converted to having REAL buttermilk always on hand.  It's beautiful and thick and makes delicious batter.  Really, it's the only way to go.

This is a basic buttermilk waffle recipe - kind of my go-to recipe when we aren't going for anything fancy.  What makes them fancy is smearing them with Nutella when they are hot off the waffle iron.  The chocolate melts and seaps through the holes, drips down your fingers and maybe even a dollop will end up on your chin (if you are lucky).  Add a few banana slices and you may just want to go back for seconds.  If it's after 5 p.m. at night then you have my permission to also add a smear of marshmallow fluff along with the nutella.  But if you do that make sure to use up all the marshmallow fluff, otherwise the kids will be eating it by the spoonful when you are not looking :)

 

BUTTERMILK WAFFLES     
(recipe from Martha Stewart)
printable version

8 Tbs. butter (1 stick), melted
2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, room temperature and seperated
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour into dry mixture, and combine.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter.
Using a measuring cup, pour batter onto preheated waffle iron and cook until done.