Family recipe Monday: pancakes

The effects of a day-long freezing fog. That's ice, not snow.

It's cold enough up here for career Minnesotans to notice, even. Today's high is supposed to zoom up to 3*F. That does not mean that we get to stay home. This is an outpost on the Great Plains, after all, and we are made of hardier stock than that. Unless the car doesn't start.

I mean, brrr.

It gets colder tomorrow and then warms up for the rest of the week. I'm making tea and a warm breakfast before I head out. This morning, it'll be biscuits made from scratch yesterday and gently warmed in the oven (NEVER nuke bread) today. If we'd had the snow day I was hoping for, I might have made one of these instead. It's great weather for pancakes and for staying in, but education comes first.

Oh, and happy National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.

Wholesome pancakes

2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup white flour
¼ cup wheat germ (optional)
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup skim milk
1 whole egg plus 1 egg white
1 T oil
Sliced fruit
Cinnamon sugar to taste

In a bowl, mix together the first seven ingredients. In separate bowl, mix together the next four ingredients and add to the first bowl, stirring just enough to break up the lumps. Fry on a lightly greased griddle. Serve with sliced fruits and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Makes about 16 4” pancakes.

Rye cornmeal pancakes

2 eggs, beaten
6 T molasses
1 cup milk
1 cup rye flour
1 cup cornmeal

Blend eggs, molasses and milk. Sift remaining ingredients and stir into liquid. Add more rye flour if necessary to make the batter stiff. Drop by spoonfuls onto a heated oiled frypan. Brown lightly on both sides. Serves 4 to 6.

Blueberry cornmeal pancakes

1 ¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 ½ T sugar
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk
3 egg yolks
3 T unsalted butter, melted
3 egg whites
1 cup blueberries
1 cup cornmeal

Sift together all dry ingredients. Mix together the buttermilk, egg yolks and butter with the dry ingredients. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry, and fold into batter. Pour ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle, sprinkle about 2 T blueberries on each pancake, and cook until bubbles form and start popping on top. Flip with wide spatula and brown the other side. Turn only once, and do not press down. Yield: 18 pancakes.

Happy Monday. Stay warm. Seriously.