Granini's Tastiest Buttermilk Pancakes

Granini's Buttermilk Pancakes

The "Goldilocks" of Perfect Pancakes.  

Tastes even better with homemade blueberry syrup.

Ingredients:

2 egg whites

2 egg yolks

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

Directions:

Using a mixer, beat 2 egg whites until they are light and fluffy.  Use a spatula to gently scrape the egg whites into a separate bowl.

Add to the mixing bowl 2 egg yolks, 1 cup buttermilk, the vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix slowly until fully mixed together.  Slowly add in the flour, little by little, alternating with the remaining cup of buttermilk.  Mix slowly until all ingredients have been incorporated.  

Very gently, using a rubber spatula, slowly and gently (let me say again, very gently) fold in the beaten egg whites.  The goal is to stir as little as possible, mixing only until the whites have been thoroughly integrated, while keeping the batter as fluffy as possible.  

Heat your skillet to a medium temperature (I prefer 310˚, but that's after much practice with this particular skillet.  The goal is not too hot -- because then the bottom will burn before the insides are done, but not too cold, or it will take TOO long to cook them all the way through.)  Just before you're ready to ladle on the pancakes, lightly spray with cooking spray.

Gently ladle the batter into large splats and plops onto a heated skillet.  Allow the pancakes to cook until small bubbles begin to form on the wet side, and the bottom side is just the perfect tawny color.  The goal is to have a Goldilocks Pancake: "just dark enough" -- not too blonde, not too dark -- on one side, and when you flip the pancake, the pancake stays in one place, without lots of wet pancake batter oozing and splattering around.  Once your properly toned Goldilocks pancake has been flipped, drizzle with melted butter.  Allow the second side to darken up (it will take much less time on side two), and serve while hot.

We prefer our pancakes naked, with butter, or served with "blueberry gravy" (our version of homemade blueberry syrup).  I haven't made blueberry gravy in a while, so I don't have any pictures at the moment, but I'm happy to share the recipe if you'd like it.

Our neighbors prefer the pancakes with peanut butter and syrup.

And then there's the old fashioned way, with butter and maple syrup.  

Anyway you serve them, these pancakes are sure to please!  The recipe doubles quite nicely, should you need to feed a mess o'people.

Trouble Shooting:

You can ladle on one "practice" pancake to adjust your skillet's temperature.  If the pancake is fully brown on one side before the wet side has begun to bubble, your skillet is too hot.  If you flip the pancake over because the bottom looked like JUST the right color, but then when you flipped the pancake and the wet side oozed and ran a bit, your pancake wasn't ready to flip (and your skillet is probably just a tad bit too hot).

If your pancake is too blonde when the insides are ready to flip, or if it is taking a VERY long time for your pancake to darken up, your skillet isn't quite hot enough.

BTW, I love (love love love) my skillet.  It's just a cheap one I picked up at Target or Bed Bath & Beyond.  But I use it all.the.time for pancakes, crepes, quesadillas, paninis, and making homemade tortillas.  LOVE my skillet.

 See how perfectly fluffy they are?

Not too blonde, not too dark.  JUST right.  The Goldilocks of all pancakes.

And for those who want the recipe for the perfect blueberry syrup to go with them, here you go!

Homemade Blueberry Syrup

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Getting the book ready!

Self-Publishing, Here I Come!

After much deliberation, I have decided to self-publish my first murder mystery manuscript!  In eager anticipation of the event, I am now frolicking about in the land of Amazon and Kindle as I learn the process of what needs to happen and how it all works.

Wish me luck!  And stay tuned for details.

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GranNini's Lemon Pound Cake

GranNini's Lemon Pound Cake

(This is not my picture.  I borrowed it from here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/twduncan/recipes/Lemon-Pound-Cake-Recipe.jpeg  I will post my own picture the next time I make the yummo recipe.)

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

10 Tablespoons butter, softened (I used unsalted)

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp lemon extract (I add 1 Tablespoon, because I prefer a much more intense lemony flavor)

1/3 cup lemon juice

Sift together:

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups flour

Lemon Drizzle Ingredients

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons half and half (or heavy cream)

2 tsp lemon extract

1 tsp lemon Crystal Light crystals (not made into lemonade -- just the sugar crystals)

Recipe

In a large mixer, blend sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly mixed.  Add in vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon juice.  Reduce the speed on the mixer to a slower speed, and gently add in flour, salt, and baking powder.  (Some people like to sift these together before hand to prevent clumps.  It's an extra step, and I'm often too lazy to bother.)  Mix these ingredients together JUST until incorporated.  Try not to over-mix.

Pour into a greased bread pan and bake at 350˚ for 45 minutes to one hour.  Make sure the center is completely baked before removing from oven.

Cool on a rack for ten minutes, then remove it from pan.  Allow the pound cake to cool completely before adding the lemon drizzle.  

Recipe for Lemon Drizzle

Mix the sugar, cream, and lemon extract together, being sure remove all lumps.  Use a spoon to drizzle the tart lemon goodness over the cool lemon pound cake.  Before the drizzle sets, use your fingers to ever so slightly sprinkle the Crystal Light lemon sugar crystals over the top.  These crystals give the cake a final "zing!" with each bite.  YUM!

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