Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Give Aunt Jemima the day off and try these incredibly easy homemade pancakes. You'll never go back to the box.

1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter
2 cups (500 mL) buttermilk or 2 cups (500 mL) milk plus 2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
2 eggs
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
Butter for cooking
2 peaches, sliced (optional)

Melt butter in the microwave or on the stove. Set aside to cool. Measure out buttermilk, or stir milk with lemon juice then let stand until slightly thickened, at least 5 min. In a large bowl, using a fork, stir flour with sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in centre.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with buttermilk, cooled melted butter and vanilla. Pour into well in flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir until just blended. The batter should be a bit lumpy. For fluffy pancakes, mix as little as possible.

Lightly coat a large frying pan with butter and set over medium heat. (Save time by using 2 pans or a large griddle.) Pour 1/3 cup (75 mL) batter into pan. Pancake will be about 6 in. (15 cm) wide. Add 1 or 2 more pancakes. Gently press peach slices into batter.

Cook until bubbles form on the top of each pancake and edges begin to brown, 2 to 4 min. Using a wide spatula, flip and continue cooking until the bottoms of pancakes become golden, 2 to 3 min. Don't press or they will become tough.

Serve right away or place on a plate and keep warm in a low-temperature oven while cooking remaining pancakes. They're delicious drizzled with maple syrup.

Mix it up
WHOLESOME- Sub whole-wheat flour for all-purpose. If batter is thick, add more milk 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until it's pourable.
BERRY - Pour batter into pan, then sprinkle each pancake with 1 heaping tbsp (22 mL) of blueberries, then gently push in.
CHAI SPICED - Stir 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground ginger and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cardamom (optional) into flour mixture before adding egg mixture.

Makes 12 Pancakes

Published by Chatelaine on 8/1/2009