Lemon Yogurt Pancakes

These pancakes were light and fluffy and lemony.  This made about 12 large pancakes and my family finished every last one.  No leftovers.  I love that they have a little boost of protein from the Greek yogurt. This recipe has a far amount of sugar for a pancakes, but that is to counteract the tang and tartness from the lemon, yogurt and buttermilk.  You could cut it if you desired.  We loved these pancakes!

LEMON YOGURT PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, and salt.  Separate eggs into two bowls.  Whisk egg yolks with sugar.  Add lemon zest, juice and extract.  Whisk.  Add buttermilk and whisk.  Here is a good point to preheat your griddle. Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks.  Mix buttermilk mixture and dry ingredients, until somewhat smooth.  Fold in half the egg whites, then the other half. Butter griddle and ladle on batter to make pancakes.  Turn when bubbling and underside is golden.  Serve with warm syrup, fresh berries and whipped cream, if desired.

Peachy Pancakes

Today was the day we told my kids about my husbands upcoming deployment.  I thought it would be nice to start with a nice breakfast and break it to them after.  I had some fruit that was about to go, and seeing how peaches and nectarines are so in season right now, it seemed like a winning combo.

My husband called a family meeting.  I wish I had taped it.  One got up in the middle to bring his plate to the sink.  We called him back and he then got a book and left and sat on the couch.  My baby, who is 3, insisted on being fed and held and I don't think he heard a word.  He may not even remember the time when daddy went away.  The older two, were however, engaged and stood and listened intently as daddy showed them where he was going and told them for how long.  Pretty anti-climactic.  Not sure what I expected, but that was not it.  

So, I started with a basic buttermilk pancake recipe, and added lemon juice, and diced peaches.  The pancakes were delicious!

PEACHY PANCAKES

• 3 cups flour
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 egg
• 2 2/3 cups buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons oil
• juice of one lemon
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 peaches or nectarines, diced

DIRECTIONS: 

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl; set aside. Whisk together wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix dry into wet.
Add diced peaches and mix.  

Cook pancakes on hot griddle until they bubble on one side and flip until cooked on the other side.

Top with blueberries and whipped cream.

S'mores Pancakes

Laying in bed this morning, while our door was revolving with tattling children we were desperately trying to ignore in order to squeeze in just a few more minutes of sleep, I thought of pancakes.  Not solving the problems of this world, or of what to do today, or even the fact that my kids feel the need to beat on each other and come tell me about it.  I thought of graham crackers, and chocolate and marshmallow pancakes.  I know, I know.  You are insanely jealous of my deep thoughts and my mad parenting skills.  I mean, tuning out your screaming kids to have a brain child like these pancakes takes some talent.

What can be said about these.  My daughter describes them as, and I quote, "chocolatey, graham crackery, marshmallowy, and s'morish." I mean, what else could one ask for for breakfast?  Oh, topping them with marshmallow creme might help.

 I will say, the graham cracker taste if more of an aftertaste, because the chocolate kind of takes the cake. You could always spread on some Trader Joe's cookie butter.   These are ubber rich and dessert like, decadent and delicious!!   If you don't like dessert for breakfast, make these for dinner.

S'MORES PANCAKES
serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups flour (I used part unbleached, part oat, and part whole wheat)
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 TBSP brown sugar
• 3 TBSP melted butter, cooled a bit
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs, serparated
• 1 1/2 cup milk (plus more to thin, if needed)
• chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
• marshmallows

TOPPING:

• 1 cup marshmallow creme
• 2 TBSP boiling water

DIRECTIONS:

getting ready to fold.

Whisk together flour, graham crackers crumbs, baking powder and salt.  Add brown sugar,  melted butter, egg yolks, vanilla and milk.  Whisk until just incorporated.  Whip egg whites to a stiff peak (this lightens the batter), and fold in gently, cutting into the middle of the batter and turning the spoon as you move to the outside of the bowl towards the outside of the bowl. (If you don't know how to fold, go to youtube, they have some great demonstrations).


Heat griddle to medium low.  Make sure batter is thin enough to spread.  Use ladle and place some on griddle.  Spot with chocolate chips and a few mini marshmallows.  Spread a tiny bit of batter over the marshmallows so they won't burn on the griddle too much.  A little browning good, too much, bad.
When the batter side is bubbled (2-3 minutes), turn carefully and cook 2-3 minutes on the other side.

FOR THE TOPPING:  Heat the water in the microwave and add the marshmallow creme to it.  Mix carefully and patiently, until smooth and syrupy. 

Chocolate Crepes (Strawberries & Cream or Nutella & Banana)

There is not much better in life that a warm crepe filled with nutella.  I remember having them while my husband and I were in Paris and I was in heaven.  Those and the chocolate croissants!  Oh my!  I will never understand why French women are skinny. 

I knew last night I wanted to make crepes, and was going to do traditional ones, but then I thought chocolate.  Everything is better with chocolate right?  These crepes were delicious.  I kinda winged the recipe based on regular crepes and was very happy with the results.  I loved that they cooked in about 30 seconds to a minute so my kids got seconds and thirds before they could through fits.  My daughter loved the nutella and banana variety and my husband's favorite was the strawberries and cream.  I liked them all and really just wanted to wrap myself in a giant one. 
These are not hard, but just be prepared, the first one may be sacrificial.  Pan has to be screaming hot. I make these on an iron skillet but imagine you could use a nonstick.  They are very delicate though, so be gentle. You could also serve these a dessert,but I love them for breakfast.   Enjoy!


CHOCOLATE CREPES

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 eggs, room temp
• 4 TBSP Melted butter
• 1 1/2 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 6 TBSP powdered sugar
• pinch salt

DIRECTIONS:
Whisk together dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Place all wet ingredients in food processor and then the dry ingredients, and pulse 10-15 times, until mixed well.  Chill for at least an hour, but better if overnight (let all the air out).  Get skillet screaming hot, best if iron skillet.  Ladle batter on and swirl the pan to distribute the batter evenly into a circle.  The first one is a sacrificial one.  Serve hot with nutella and bananas, or strawberries and cream and powdered sugar, or with syrup. 

Chocolate Nutella Pancakes

Chocolate and Nutella, kinda redundant right?  Wrong!! Oh no, if we are doing chocolate for breakfast, we are doing it big.  So, what better way, than a chocolate pancake, with a big puddle of oozey goodness in the center.  Of course, there is that temptation to just eat the center of a bazillion pancakes.  Which I did momentarily think about, but refrained.
You know, pancakes are really just an excuse to eat cake for breakfast.  But who needs an excuse?  Not me.
As usual, I could not crank these out fast enough.  We topped with our usual: triple fresh berries, warm maple syrup and whipped cream.  Yes, we eat like this every Saturday.  Don't be a hater.

CHOCOLATE NUTELLA PANCAKES


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• scant 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 TBSP melted butter or coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup sugar
• nutella

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder in a small bowl.  Whisk together sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and milk.  Add dry to wet and whisk until combined.  Preheat griddle, and ladle pancake onto hot griddle.  Take a spoonful of nutella and place it in the center.  Cover it with a little more batter.  When pancake bubbles, flip and cook until cooked on the other side is done.  Serve with powdered sugar sprinkle and warm syrup.

Banana Cornmeal Pancakes

I had some leftover bananas ad thought about making banana pancakes up, but then I thought about the possibility of cornmeal.  These pancakes were delicious and I loved how they were something different.  the first bite, I was not sure if I liked them, then I took another and settled into the cornmeal flavor.  I think my palette was surprised, even though I knew what I was eating.  Funny how that is.  My kids chowed them, and my husband really liked the combo of the banana and cornmeal.

BANANA CORNMEAL PANCAKES
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse, Food network

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 TBSP brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup greek nonfat yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium size bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.  In a large bowl, combine yogurt, egg yolk, vanilla and milk.  Using a wooden spoon, add dry to wet ingredients.  Lightly fold in bananas and the melted butter.  In a separate bowl, beat 3 egg whites until soft peak forms.  Gently fold egg whites into the rest of the batter.  Cook on preheated, greased griddle.  Serve with warm syrup and butter.

Browned Butter Citrus Pancakes

 

 My son came into my room this morning while I was still in bed and asked me sweetly if I would make pancakes this morning.  I barked, "NO!".  Now I am not a morning person, or a breakfast lover.  I love breakfast foods, just not first thing in the morning.  My son is totally a morning person and by far, his favorite meal is breakfast.  So, as I lay in my bed, grumpy, I knew I could not deny my son of his request.  I don't want my child to feel deprived, so I dragged my lazy butt out of bed and whipped up these yummy pancakes.  

They were great with the orange segments, which kinda surprised me, and they were also delish with berries on them.  A nice way to zest up the mundane.

BROWNED BUTTER CITRUS PANCAKES

adapted from  williams-sonoma

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbs. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 1⁄4 cups milk
• 4 Tbs. (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter, browned
• 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest 
• some lemon and lime zest
• 4 oranges, peeled and sectioned

Directions:

In a small saucepan, heat butter and cook over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes, stirring or swirling pot continually.  Cook until butter begins to get brown bits in it.  It will burn easily, so as soon as it is brown, remove it from heat and pour into a dish to cool some while making the rest.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt over the eggs and stir to combine. Stir in the yogurt, milk, butter, vanilla and fruit zests until smooth.

Heat a griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease the griddle with butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Pour 1/3 cup of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top and the batter is set, about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Keep warm until all the pancakes are cooked. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the griddle as needed.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

These got lost somewhere in the mix of life.  I even deleted the pictures from my computer, only to realize I didn't post this recipe.  These pancakes were great.  We all really enjoyed them.  Very easy and delicious!  And now you can buy sweet potato puree in the grocery store which makes it that much easier to make them.  No excuses! ;-)


SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 cup AP flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 TBSP brown sugar
• pinch nutmeg
• 2 cups milk
• 4 tsp melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup sweet potato puree

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.  Whisk dry ingredients into wet until combined.  Preheat skillet on med, and use ladle to scoop batter onto skillet.  Let cook until bubbles on top, then turn with spatula and cook until golden brown. 

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Apples and Streusel

My family loved these pancakes.  I was concerned because they certainly did not look pretty.  I thought maybe it would be an unsuccessful experiment.  But nope... not pretty, but very tasty! (Sorry about the bad picture, I tried to show both sides of the pancake.) A wonderful fall pancake! It has all things fall in it:  pumpkin, apples and spice.  They are a bit time consuming, but I will be making these again.  They are huge pancakes when you spread the batter, and each of my kids ate 2!  Even my 2 year old.  YUM!

PUMPKIN SPICE PANCAKES WITH APPLES AND STREUSEL



adapted from Annie-eats

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 large egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
• 2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced very thin

STREUSEL:

• 3 TBSP butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 TBSP flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Peel and core apples, then slice very thin.  In a small  bowl, mix streusel ingredients with fingers of fork.  Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices and stir with a whisk to combine.  Mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, vanilla, egg and oil or butter in a small bowl.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together just until combine.  (If the batter is too thick, thin with a little bit of milk until it seems workable to you.)
Preheat the oven to 200° F.  Have an oven safe plate or serving dish ready.  Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.  Once the skillet is hot, add a ladleful of batter to the pan, spreading batter out with the backside of the ladle to make the pancake larger.   Place slices of apple around the uncooked side, fanning out from the middle.  Let cook until bubbles begin to form on the top surface.  Carefully flip with a spatula and then sprinkle tops with streusel.  Let cook for a few minutes until apples are tender.  Transfer the cooked pancake to the oven safe dish, and place in the oven to keep warm.  Repeat with the rest of the batter until it has all been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed.  Serve warm maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.

Banana Oat Pancakes

These pancakes were devoured by the family and stick to the ribs because they are full of oats!  They are heavy to lift, yet surprisingly light on the palette.  They are full of banana flavor.  The texture was nice and we all enjoyed them.  I will be revisiting these a lot when my boys are teens and eating me out of house and home!

BANANA OAT PANCAKES
yield: about 15 large pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 2/3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder 
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs, separated
• 3-4 TBSP butter
• 2 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup mashed banana

DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan, heat milk, oats and butter to be hot, turn off and let sit to steep while preparing other ingredients.  Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Mix mashed bananas into oatmeal mix.  Add vanilla to egg yolks and temper egg yolks with oatmeal if it is still hot  (Add a spoonful of oatmeal mix to eggs, whisk and repeat until egg yolks are warm).  Meanwhile, beat egg whites to a stiff peak.  Mix oatmeal mix into flour mix.  Add a bit more milk to thin if needed.  Fold in half the egg whites then the other half.  Cook on griddle on med to med low heat.  Serve with butter and maple syrup and fresh strawberries, if desired.

Potato Pancakes

  


Every now and then when I was growing up my dad would get a hankering for potato pancakes and would whip some up.  We would eat them as fast as he could make them.  Spread some butter over them and eat them with our fingers when they were almost too hot to hold.  I love them!
Some grate onion into it, but I enjoy the pure potato variety more.  This was how my Polish grandfather made them.  

Now I get a hankering and can whip them.  Never seem to be as great as my dad's though.  Anyway, we made some the other night and my kids gobbled them up!  They liked to dip them in sour cream which is how my husband likes them too, but I still prefer them with just butter.

NOTE:  My husband does not like that these are called "pancake", because they are in no way sweet and they are more like a hash brown.  But they are what they are.  ;-)

POTATO PANCAKES

• 6 white potatoes (mine were large, so maybe up to 8 if they are smallish)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2-1 tsp onion powder
• pepper to taste
• 1/2-2/3 c. flour
• 1/4 c. milk

DIRECTIONS:
Using a food processor, grate potatoes.  Dump out potatoes and switch attachment to regular one.  Dump potatoes back in and pulse until reduced to mealy consistency (sounds appetizing, right?) so it looks like this.

   
  Dump in large bowl.  Add salt, pepper, onion powder, and flour.  Depending on how much water is in your potatoes, add more flour.  Add milk to thin and mix.  Heat griddle on medium high heat.  Once hot, grease with some butter and use ladle to put on skillet.  (I reduced heat on my iron griddle to med. here) Cook until golden on one side, about 4-5 minutes, and then the other.  Serve hot with butter and/or sour cream.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Berries

I love lemon! We went away for a little anniversary getaway about a month ago and stayed at a fabulous bed and breakfast in Virginia Beach called Beach Spa B&B.  We enjoyed our getaway immensely, and I loved to see what they were going to serve up for breakfast.  One day they served lemon ricotta pancakes.  While theirs were delicious, the lemon was an afterthought in the light pancake.  It was a hint of lemon and I wanted more.
So, here is my version.  No question they are lemon, but not too overpowering.  While my 7 year old loved these, the other kids ate them with a little less gusto, but still ate them well.  My husband and I loved them.  So, I would say they are more of a grown up pancake.  The buttermilk just makes them that much lighter and tangy. Very light and wonderful topped with berries!

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES
adapted from Williams Sonoma

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese (part skim) 
• 1 cup buttermilk (or milk)
• 3 eggs, serparated
• 1/4 cup sugar
• zest and juice of one lemon
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt, divided

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and 1/8 tsp salt.
In a large bowl break up ricotta cheese.  Add milk, lemon extract, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and zest and juice and whisk until smooth (use spatula if needed to further break up ricotta). 
Add flour mixture to ricotta mixture and mix until just combined. Batter will be thick but don't over mix!
Using an electric mixer or a balloon whisk ( I used my new double whisk which I was excited about!)  mix egg white until foamy.  Add 1/8 tsp salt and whisk until holds a soft peak.  Gently fold in 1/3 of egg whites into batter.  Then gently fold in the rest.  Here is a link to show you how to fold if you don't know.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4vbktd-PM&feature=related
Preheat griddle to medium low and grease griddle lightly before cooking.  Ladle batter onto griddle.  Cook until bubbles form on top and flip.  Cook until golden.  Serve topped with fresh berries (sweetened if you like) and warm syrup.  Makes 12-14 pancakes.

Buttermilk Pancakes

We used to do a big waffle or pancake breakfast on Sunday's.  But we have had to change it to Saturday's because we often have to be at church early for worship and it makes Sunday mornings a little too crazy.  So I bought some lowfat buttermilk this week and decided to make some homemade buttermilk pancakes this morning.  We did some plain, some with choc. chips and some with fresh blueberries.  They were all delicious and the kids were asking for seconds before I even got a chance to start eating.
I took the recipe form my friends Cristine's blog.  I have made a ton of her recipes and her stuff is always fantastic.  I did add a couple tbsp. more of buttermilk than the recipe called for because I like a thinner batter.  I also added a tsp. of vanilla and a touch more sugar.  Hard for me to follow a recipe completely.  These will not disappoint!


http://cristinecooks.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-buttermilk-pancakes.html