Hi Everyone,
I’m very excited! Today is the first day of National Pancake week. I missed Peanut Butter day in January, and there was no way I would miss Pancake week! Yup a whole week of pancake fun! I wish I could post a new pancake recipe everyday, but I can’t, since I have to work and I think my family would not be to happy with me if I made pancakes every-night for dinner. Now me, personally, would not have a problem with that! As you may tell I kind of love pancakes!
Today’s pancakes are a wonderful Blueberry Lemon Pancake. These are of course adapted from my original Yogurt Pancake. However on these, I normally use whole wheat pastry flour, but I was out, so I decided to use White Whole Wheat flour and I have to say I was little concerned at the beginning of my process. Whole Wheat Flour is more dense than pastry flour, so in this batch I had add a little milk to give it more of a batter texture and it was thicker placing on the griddle too. But you know what? I think, I think I may just like the whole wheat flour better, well maybe not better, but these pancakes are different. These are thick and the tops got a little crunchy and the center was nice and fluffy. They are a perfect pancake consistency! Also they didn’t run as much so it was easier to make a perfect circle with the batter.
In this pancake recipe I used one 6oz container of Chobani lemon yogurt. Plus I added fresh blueberries. The combination of lemon and blueberry is amazing. I got this idea from one of my readers (Hi Cassandra!). She told me she made my lemon bread and added blueberries. I thought, huh, great idea and then these pancakes were born. Ohh, I can’t wait to see what I concoct next!!
I thought since it is Pancake Week and I want YOU to make the perfect pancakes, I thought I would give you a few tips that I picked up from Kodiak Pancakes.
Tip One: Never batter the batter. Batter should only be mixed enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Then stop battering – even if you still have lumps. This is because flour contains gluten – a gluey-like substance that activates when it gets wet and mixed. If over-mixed, it becomes tough and rubbery. Don’t worry about the lumps – they’ll disappear when cooked.
Tip Two: Lay it on thick (or thin). Thinner batter gives the pancake a lighter texture, while thicker batter makes it more dense and heavy.
Tip Three: What’s in it for me? Stir-ins are always a fun surprise for pancake eaters. Some ideas are blueberries, bananas, cinnamon and vanilla, raspberries, chocolate chips, or even sausage and bacon.
Tip Four: Wait ‘till I say, “Go!” Be patient, and let the griddle heat up for about five minutes. If the pan is too cool, your pancakes will turn out tough from cooking too long. If the pan’s too hot, you’ll end up with doughy centers. A few drops of water should dance around the griddle – 375 degrees is usually about right.
Tip Five: Got rhythm? To look like a pro and make consistently shaped flapjacks, use a 1/3 or 1/4 cup measuring cup for each pancake.
Tip Six: Don’t muddle your puddle. Make a small puddle of oil on the griddle and pour the batter directly into the middle of the puddle. The oil will surround the edges and make them crispy and tasty. Butter can burn on the pan and cause bitter specs of burnt butter to get on your pancake. Cooking spray is good if you’re trying to keep it lean, but it doesn’t add flavor or make the edges crispy. (I used cooking spray and my pancakes got a crispy top, hmmm)
Tip Seven: No double flipping! Flipping the pancake more than once causes a dry pancake. Flipping the pancake at the right time will help you avoid this temptation. Pancakes are ready to turn when the top is full of air holes, and the sides start looking a bit dry. Peaking underneath a lifted edge will help you determine the proper flipping-time – look for a nice golden brown color.
Tip Eight: Don’t flatten the flippin’ flapjack! This is the cardinal sin of the art of flapjack flipping and must be avoided! These are not burgers guys! A big misconception is that smashing the flapjack will help it cook faster or eliminate the possibility of a doughy center. Not true. The hot air inside the flapjack helps it cook better. Smashing it merely pushes the air out of it and undoes all of the work you did to create a perfectly light and fluffy pancake.
Tip Nine: Some like it hot! Actually, everyone does. Who wants a cold flapjack? If you are cooking for a large group and can’t serve them hot off the griddle, the best way to keep pancakes warm is to place them, single-layered, on a cookie sheet in a warm oven. Do not stack them or cover them or they’ll become soggy. (I preheat my oven to 200 degrees, pancakes stay perfect at that temperature!)
Blueberry Lemon Pancakes
Ingredients:
1/3 Cup of Greek Lemon Yogurt (6 oz container works for the whole recipe)
2 egg Whites
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup. White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1 dash salt
1/4 cup non-fat milk
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh
Yogurt Sauce Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. Lemon yogurt
1 tbsp. Maple Syrup ( I used sugar free)
Additional topping: 1/4 cup blueberries
Directions:
For Pancakes:
Mix greek yogurt,egg whites and vanilla extract into a small bowl
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, sugar, & salt
Combine and whisk till evenly mixed
Add milk, stir until combined (if the batter still seems to thick add a pinch more milk, I only needed the 1/4 cup)
Fold in 1/2 cup blueberries
Spray non-stick skillet with cooking spray and place 1/4-cup of batter onto skillet and cook till bubbles start appearing through the top of the pancake and then flip. NOTE: Cook on medium heat and I spread out my batter with the spatula to cook more evenly.
About 1-2 minutes on each side
For Yogurt Syrup:
Add yogurt and maple syrup in a small bowl and stir together until combined.
Add yogurt syrup on top and 1/4 cup of remaining blueberries.
Enjoy!
Makes 7 pancakes, 31/2 each, Serves 2.
Calories per serving: 251, Fat: .06, Cholesterol: .06, Sodium: 267, Potassium: 103, Carbs: 45, Fiber: 5.5, Sugar: 19.6 (blueberries is what has most of the sugar), Protein: 17
I thought I would share with you my past pancake recipes that I simply love. Each one is a little different and I personally think there is one for everyone. What I like about pancakes is that you can make whatever your mood is for the day. Some days I feel sweet, I make chocolate, other days I want strawberries, I make strawberries, I even have birthday ones, cookie ones and fall ones. Oh the possibility of pancakes are endless. So check out my pancakes of the past!
The original Whole Wheat Yogurt Pancakes – Sept 11, 2011 (My first blog post ever)
Almond Joy Pancakes – November 13, 2011
Birthday Pancakes – For Little Jenny’s special day
Blueberry Banana Pancakes – Hubby loved this one
Strawberry Banana Stuffed Pancakes
Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
That was fun going through all of my pancake recipes. Some of them I forgot about, but I will never forget my original one because that was the one that started it all. Funny looking back, I can’t believe how much my photography has improved. At least my photos are a little better looking now. Practice makes perfect!
Well my friends, I hope you give one of these pancakes a try and if you do let me know what you think. Enjoy Pancake week!!! You know I will!
Have a great day!!
QUESTION: What is your favorite kind of pancake?
