A quick guide to pancakes

I grew up with my mom making homemade pancakes. I never knew a mix existed. Mom always mixed up the flour, milk, eggs and cooked them up on a weekend. I do the same now. I do keep some mix on hand for school days or days that it's just the kids who want them. Quick, easy and they are happy. But for the over 14 years I've been married, I've made big weekend breakfasts for FG and I and now the kids.

Pancakes do not need to be scary. They are quite easy, even from scratch. The ingredients I use are basic and common and generally on hand in most kitchens. Except now I started making buttermilk pancakes and waffles and oh yum! The buttermilk gives them such a light texture they just melt in your mouth!
The recipe I use is from The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Here's my step by step on making pancakes:

The ingredients

1 cup buttermilk (I usually add a few table spoons more after mixing to thin the batter a bit and get it the consistency I want it)

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

1 beaten egg (I just toss it in the milk & oil and mix it in there)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder (2 t. if you are using regular milk)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (omit if you are using regular milk)

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Mix wet ingredients in large bowl with pour spout (I like to use my large measuring cup or my PC Batter Bowl). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

While you are mixing up the ingredients. Start warming a griddle or pan. The biggest mistake most people make with pancakes is having the pan too hot! Start warming it on medium heat.

Get the pan warm but not sizzling hot.

Pour the batter on the pan. I like to do smaller pancakes so I get 4 on my one-burner griddle.

Then wait. Patiently. The pancakes will look wet and bubbly in the middle and dry on the edges. Wait just a tiny bit more and THEN flip!

Then they only take a minute or so until they are finished!

If you like blueberries in your pancakes (I'm the only one in the house who does!), wash, drain and add them AFTER you pour the batter.

I have frozen cooked pancakes before. I cool them then put waxed paper between each one, put them in a Ziploc bag and freeze. They are ok. Not as good as fresh but most food isn't.

Now, go make pancakes! They really aren't scary!