Blueberry Pancakes are
delicious, with their golden brown crusts, their light and spongy texture,
their rich and tangy flavor, made all the better by the sweetness of the
blueberries. They go perfectly with real maple syrup, and maybe a couple
of sausage links or a few strips of bacon.
Pancakes seem almost too good
to be true. They taste great, they are quick and easy to make, and they
use inexpensive everyday ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder and
soda, salt, eggs, buttermilk and butter. Now, each of these ingredients has a
purpose. First, the flour.
Flour contributes to the body, structure, texture and flavor of these
pancakes.
A little sugar is added to
give the pancakes a touch of sweetness, yet it also adds moisture and
helps to give the pancakes their lovely golden brown color. The baking powder and baking soda
obviously provide the leavening, giving the pancakes their light and airy
texture. Salt has the ability to bring out the flavors of all the
ingredients. The egg
provides color, texture, flavor and richness to the batter and it helps to
bind all the ingredients together.
And let us not forget the butter which adds
a rich flavor as well as helping to make the pancakes wonderfully tender. And finally, the buttermilk.
Buttermilk has a thick and creamy texture,
and a rich, tangy, and buttery flavor
that makes pancakes tender, fluffy, and soft.
Buttermilk is commercially made by adding a
bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. But you can also make your
own by simply adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider
vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Just stir the vinegar or lemon
juice into the milk and then let it stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Another option is to buy buttermilk powder so you always have it on hand.
Once the batter is made, all that is left to do is to cook the pancakes.
Try to use either a heavy gauge pan (skillet) or griddle. Preheat the pan
before greasing it with melted butter or oil. Keep in mind that you may have to
adjust the heat as you go to ensure that the pancakes have a lovely golden
brown crust and are cooked all the way through. Another option is to use
an electric griddle with the temperature set to 350 degrees F (180 degrees
C). You can pour or ladle the
pancake batter onto the bottom of your pan and you can make the pancakes any size, from
the size of a silver dollar to almost the full size of your pan. While one
side of the pancakes are cooking, evenly sprinkle the uncooked tops with
either fresh or frozen blueberries. (I like to use frozen wild blueberries
as I like their smaller size.)
When the bottoms of the
pancakes are golden brown and bubbles start to appear on the uncooked top
surfaces of the pancakes (2-3 minutes), turn them over. Continue to cook
the pancakes until golden brown and cooked all the way through. If not
serving immediately, place in a 175 degree F (80 degree C) oven directly
on the wire rack. But what if you have leftover pancakes, do you have to
throw them away? The answer is no. Simply freeze them. Then all you have
to do is to pop them in the toaster, still frozen, until they are warm. Of
course, they are not quite as good as freshly made, but they come pretty
close. Another question I am often asked is whether I can make the pancake
batter ahead of time? The answer again is, yes, you can make it up to a
day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Now, I do find that while the
pancakes still taste delicious, they are not quite as light and fluffy as
when the batter is made immediately before cooking. But I think the
compromise is worth it, as making the batter ahead of time allows us to
enjoy pancakes on busy weekday mornings when we usually have to settle for
a bowl of cold cereal.
Blueberry Pancakes: In a large bowl whisk together the
flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl whisk together the
egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry
ingredients and then pour in the egg mixture, all at
once, and stir (with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon) just until combined. The batter should have some small
lumps. (Do not over mix the batter or the pancakes will be tough.)
(The pancake batter can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24
hours.)
Heat a frying pan or griddle over
medium high heat until a few sprinkles of water dropped on the pan or griddle splatter. Adjust
the temperature as needed. Can also use an electric griddle with the temperature
set at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Using a piece of paper towel or a pastry
brush, lightly brush the pan with melted butter or oil (or spray with a non
stick vegetable spray.)
Using a small ladle or
scoop, pour about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of pancake batter onto the hot pan, spacing the pancakes a few inches
apart. Evenly
sprinkle the uncooked tops of the pancakes with fresh or unthawed frozen
blueberries (if using thawed blueberries, blot with a paper towel to remove any
moisture). When
the bottoms of the pancakes are golden brown and bubbles start to appear on the
uncooked top
surfaces of the pancakes (2-3 minutes), turn over. Cook
until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes) and cooked through.
Repeat with remaining
batter, brushing the pan with melted butter or oil between batches.
Serve immediately
with butter and maple syrup or your favorite jam. You can keep the pancakes warm
by placing them directly on the wire rack, in
a 175 degree F (80 degree C) oven,
for about 15 minutes.
Makes about 8 - 4 inch (10 cm)
pancakes. Preparation time about 15 minutes.
Use of materials on
all pages on the domains Joyofbaking.com,
the Joyofbaking.com Facebook
Page, the
Joyofbaking1 YouTube
Channel and any emails sent from @joyofbaking.com
are
entirely at the risk of the user and their owner, iFood Media LLC
will not be responsible for any damages directly or indirectly resulting
from the use.
References
cited may include a link to purchase the referenced book or item on Amazon.com.
Joyofbaking.com receives a commission on any purchases resulting from these
links.
This
website and the contents are not endorsed or sponsored by the owner of the
"Joy of Cooking" series of books or its publisher Simon & Schuster, Inc.
and is not related to the "Joy the Baker" books and website.
Video icons by Asher.
Content in any form may
not be copied or used without written permission of Stephanie Jaworski,
Joyofbaking.com. Students and non profit educators may use content without
permission with proper credit.