I love bacon, eggs and pancakes. But, quite honestly, there’s a better chance that Ralph Nader will win the presidential election then there is of me getting up at the crack of dawn to fire up the griddle. Cereal and coffee are about all I can handle that early in the morning. So, sometimes, I make breakfast for dinner.
Breakfast for dinner is easy, cheap and you generally have all the ingredients laying around.
I’ve been trying to incorporate more whole grain into my family’s diet, and whole wheat pancakes are a great way to do that.
I bought a bag of King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour, and went in search of a whole wheat pancake recipe. I came across several warnings that whole wheat flour made pancakes that were too dense, and suggested using half wheat and half white flour or adding some other ingredients I didn’t have on hand.
I ignored all the warnings, and got out my Fannie Farmer cookbook with my favorite pancake recipe. I made them like I always do, but with whole wheat flour. How bad could it be, really?
Not bad at all. The whole wheat pancakes turned out fine. They weren’t dense at all, and raised up nice and fluffy. I don’t know what all the fuss was about. They have a slightly nuttier flavor that goes great with maple syrup, and they get just a little crispy on the outside. A nice touch.
The only difficulty I had was telling when they were done, since they’re already brown to begin with. You just have to keep a close eye on things.
Now, the whole wheat is good for you, but if you really want to turn this into a super food, pour some homemade blueberry sauce over them in place of your Aunt Jamima. Blueberries are full of antioxidants, and all sorts of other good stuff. Since you’re being so healthy, splurge a little and top it all off with some whipped cream. Homemade if possible.
Oh, yum!
Now, if you like these, make a double, triple, even quadruple batch, then freeze the left overs. You can pull one of two out of the freezer at a time, and warm them up in the microwave. I can handle that at 6 a.m.
Keep you extra blueberry sauce in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a month, or freezer for up to a year.
Whole Wheat Pancake Recipe
1/2 – 3/4 cup of milk
2 tbs butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Lightly beat the milk, butter and egg in a mixing bowl. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and add all at once to the first mixture. Stir just enough to dampen. Grease a frying pan, (non-stick cooking spray on a cast iron skillet works best) and set over moderate heat. Test the pan by sprinkling with a few drops of water. It’s ready when the water beads up and sizzles away.
Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into pan. Cook until cake is full of bubbles on top, and slighlty browned on bottom. Flip and cook until the other side is browned.
Blueberry Sauce Recipe
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of blueberries
Dissolve sugar in water and bring to a boil. Add blueberries. Bring to boil again. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened. If sauce seems too thin, add a little corn starch to thicken more.
Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbs powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Chill whisk or mixer beater and mixing bowl in the freezer for a few minutes. Pour the cream into the chilled bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Gradually whip in the sugar and vanilla.