THE BEST EVER PANCAKES

Last weekend for Father's Day, Scott wanted blueberry pancakes but our blueberries were not quite ready to pick, not even pick enough for him a pancake or two.  

Now for me, pancakes are serious business.  They are a work of art.  Yep, you heard me right, they are a work of art.  I know they are an average piece of flat fried bread you put syrup on but if you know how to make them, and I stress if you know how to make them, you have beautiful light and fluffy delicious pancakes.  Not those flat greasy looking pieces of round junk.

I have read that you have to sift your flour once or two to achieve the fluffy texture but that is not true.  You just have to know the trick.  Yes, there is a simple easy trick to making your pancakes fluff.  It really is rather simple.  All you do is mix your dry ingredients together. Yes, mix them.  I add my flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar and then use a fork and mix it all up really good.  In doing so you are kind of whipping the dry ingredients.  This will add air and fluff up your flour.  See, I told you that you did not have to sift your flour once or twice.  You can get the same or close to the same results by using fork or better yet you can take a whisk and do the same thing. 

After I have the dry ingredients blended, I add the wet ingredients one at a time in the same bowl as the dry mix is in.  I do not mix my wet ingredients separately. Honestly, that does nothing but dirty up a clean bowl.  You also need to add the secret ingredient in at the last.  The secret to a good tasting pancake is vanilla extract.  

When Scott had my pancakes for the first time he was amazed at how fluffy and good they tasted.  He wanted to know my secret and I told him it was adding a teaspoon of vanilla.  This makes a huge difference in the flavor and for some reason the moisture and texture of a pancake.  

I do not make pancakes a lot but my grandson loves them.  He also loves my blueberries.  

PANCAKE RECIPE

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup of plain flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/4 cup of milk
• 3 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Mix the first 4 ingredients together really well. Make sure you stir it around either with a fork or a whisk for a couple of minutes.
• Then add the rest of the ingredients except for the vanilla and blend.  
• Add vanilla once everything is incorporated well.  Mix again to blend the vanilla into your batter.  
• If you are adding fruit do so at this time.  
• Cook on a griddle or frying pan until done.

I use 1 cup of skim milk and 1/4 cup of fat-free half and half.  I do not skimp on the butter I use the real stuff.  

Now get in the kitchen and fix up some pancakes and bacon.  It does not have to be a breakfast meal.  Growing up we loved when mom would fix us breakfast for dinner.  We felt like we were being decadent.   

Have a good Sunday and ENJOY!!