Breakfast for dinner - Pancakes

So once or twice a month I make breakfast for dinner. Generally we have two or three types of pancakes, sausage, bacon and some kind of oatmeal dish. In the summer months, there is always fresh fruit as well. On rare occasions I will whip up a blueberry or mixed berry sauce for the top of the pancakes.

My go to recipe for pancakes is found in the 1950 Edition of the Woman's Home Companion Cook Book on page 167 and is titled "Griddlecakes". This cook book has been my favorite since I was old enough to follow a recipe and my first ever home baked cookie made by my hands came from this book. It was clearly a tag sale/book sale find for someone as it is marked for 50 cents just inside the front page. The person who owned the book originally lived on Asylum Avenue in Hartford, CT. I know this because her name & address is found in script just inside the front cover. It only seemed fitting that when I should leave my father's house for the very last time that I take this cook book with me. Thankfully he didn't get too upset and I've cherished it ever since.

I could go into volumes about the simple recipes in this book and extol the virtues of cooking from scratch, but that is for a different blog. Without further adieu, here is the recipe:

Griddlecakes (pancakes)

1 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg, well beaten
approx. 1 1/4 c. milk
3 Tbsp shortening, melted

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt & sugar. Combine egg, milk & fat and mix into dry mixture until moistened. Do NOT over mix! Pour mixture by 1/4 c. fulls onto preheated cast iron skillet and cook until edges are dry & top is bubbly, turn over and cook a couple of minutes more. Makes approximately 1-2 dozen pancakes.

Cook's Notes:
I usually use at least 1/2 whole wheat flour. I add fresh grated nutmeg to the dry ingredients. For the fat, I generally use a ratio of 2/3 canola oil and 1/3 melted butter. This cuts down on saturated fat, but using some butter leaves the richness in.

I've added cut up bananas, mashed bananas, chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts & pumpkin puree to this recipe with no problems. For things like cut up bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips & nuts, I add them to the top of the batter right after I spread it into the pan. For the puree or mashed fruit, I add them into the batter itself. When I add pumpkin, I add in some ginger, ground cloves and cinnamon as well as the nutmeg.

The following is another recipe that was shared with me by a friend who lives in PA. It was posted on a recipe sharing board on a baby site that I used to frequent often. The kids and I love this recipe as well.

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c. all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. yellow cornmeal
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. plain whole milk yogurt
1 large egg
1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk to blend. Whisk buttermilk, yogurt & egg in medium bowl. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just blended but still lumpy. Gently mix in melted butter.

Drop batter by 1/3 c. onto preheated, greased griddle or cast iron pan. Cook until pancakes are brown on bottom and bubbles form on top. Turn and cook until bottoms are brown.

Cook's notes:
I have always used non-fat or low fat plain yogurt with fine results. I also use half whole wheat flour and the same ratio of canola oil to butter as in the above recipe.