Buttermilk Syrup- Two deliciously different ways

I have this recipe posted on my blog at the bottom of the Caramel Pecan French Toast recipe but it is so delicious it deserves a post all of it's own and I wouldn't want you to miss it.

My Mom first introduced me to this delicious syrup a couple of years ago when we had pumpkin waffles. Pumpkin waffles and buttermilk syrup are a great combination! Any waffles and buttermilk syrup are a great combination! The recipe she gave me produces a golden, buttery, indescribably delicious syrup.

In my food blog browsing I realized there was actually another way to make this syrup. Cooking the syrup for a longer period of time results in a delicious, caramel like syrup.

My husband prefers the second version. If I was forced to choose I think I prefer the first version although they are both so delicious it is too hard to choose.

No matter which version you try I can guarantee you'll be hooked for like.

Golden Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Heat butter, buttermilk, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat until boiling, stirring often. Boil for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda. Stir until combined. Serve immediately over pancakes or waffles.

Caramel Buttermilk Syrup

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 stick real butter

2 Tbsp. corn syrup

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a LARGE pot.

Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low (as long as it's still bubbling, you're okay). Cook, stirring very frequently, for 8-9 minutes.
When it's done, it should take on a luscious golden-brown color. Remove from heat and add vanilla.Give it a good stir to mix in the foamy top. Enjoy!

*Either of these are amazing on ice cream or chocolate waffles, or both together!*

Posted by: Sallie

Caramel Pecan French Toast

This might just be my all time favorite breakfast. I made it a couple of years ago for Christmas breakfast and now it's a tradition. It's really convenient because you can make it the night before and then just pop it in the oven in the morning. My only word of warning is, make sure you get really thick french bread because last year my turned out a little soggy. To make it even more delicious I top it with buttermilk syrup.

Caramel Pecan French Toast

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons light-color corn syrup

1cup chopped pecans

36 to 40 1/2 in. slices baguette-style french bread (about 2 8 in. loaves) or eighteen 1/2 inch slices regular French bread

6 beaten eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Heat and stir until the butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 3 quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the pecans.

2. Arrange half of the bread slices in a single layer in dish. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans and top with the remaining bread slices.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, milk, and vanilla. Slowly pour over bread. Press lightly with back of large spoon to moisten bread.

4. Stir together granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; sprinkle over bread. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours.

5. Bake uncovered, in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes. to serve, remove individual servings with wide spatula and invert onto serving plates. Makes 9 servings.

Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cube butter (1/4 cup)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

In large saucepan, mix butter, corn syrup, buttermilk and sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add baking soda and vanilla. Stir briskly. It will foam up a lot so you need a big pan.

Pumpkin Waffles

Alright, first the somewhat sad news. I have decided to do the P90x program, diet and all so I will only be posting about once a week for the next 90 days. I will try to post some old favorites but it might be hit and miss. I'll be back for sure after the 90 days! I'm leaving you with another fall favorite --pumpkin waffles. These are a favorite around our house. My Mom and sister first introduced these to me a couple of years ago at Christmas and I was hooked. I have tried all kinds of recipes and this one is a good one. It is originally from Cafe 222 in San Diego and was published in Gourmet Magazine. If you want a really delicious treat top it with this syrup!

Pumpkin Waffles

Gourmet

*This recipe works best in a Belgian waffle maker*

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil for brushing waffle iron

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron.
Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl until blended, then whisk in milk, buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until smooth.
Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter (about 2 cups for four 4-inch Belgian waffles) into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp. Make more waffles in same manner

Accompaniment: warm pure maple syrup or buttermilk syrup

Posted by: Sallie

French Toast Casserole

After having this again for Christmas Breakfast I think I can safely claim that for now this is my ultimate favorite breakfast. I don't know how to describe it except sweet, buttery, caramely, and nutty. It's to die for! One note, every time I have made this, it has needed to bake for longer than the recipe calls for. Just lift a top piece of the french toast and look underneath to make sure the bottom layer is done and not soggy.

French Toast Casserole

Paula Deen

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup (I always use this buttermilk syrup instead)

Directions
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Posted by: Sallie

Thanksgiving Countown - Day 1 The Turkey!

Sorry I'm so slow in getting the post up. I hope everyone had a great weekend. I had a great time co-hosting a baby shower for Julia. It was fabulous and so fun to see her and her husband. She looks so cute! As soon as I get some pictures I'll try to post some.

I'm so excited to start sharing some of our Thanksgiving Favorites with you. First of all, let me warn you this is a LONG post. DO NOT GET OVERWHELMED! We are going to start with the basics this week and then move on to some fun extras next week. On the Menu for this week:

Buttermilked-Brined Turkey
Bread and Sausage Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Perfect Dinner Rolls
Pie

Let's get started shall we? This is one of those recipes you can do in steps and is actually not too hard. Also, I've included a couple different variations for cooking the turkey after the brining is done. Julia introduced me to this method about two years ago and I love it. It produces a very moist, flavorful turkey every time. Obviously you will need to plan ahead but the process is pretty simple and well worth the end results! I've included the basic version for cooking the turkey after the brining is finished or a delicious sage/butter version that we did a couple years ago.

*Soaking the turkey in a saltwater brine produces tender, juicy meat. In this recipe the brine mixture also includes buttermilk, which adds flavor to the turkey and helps keep the meat moist.*

Buttermilk-Brined Turkey
Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups turkey brine (either made or purchased. see bottom of recipe for brine options)
1 quart water
4 quarts buttermilk
1 fresh turkey, 16 to 18 lb., neck, heart and gizzard removed (reserved, if desired)
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions:
In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the turkey brine and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until the brine dissolves, 5 to 10 minutes. Let the brine mixture cool to room temperature. In a large pot, stir together the brine mixture and buttermilk.Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and place in a large brining bag. Carefully pour the buttermilk brine mixture into the bag. Seal the bag, pressing out the air, and place in a large stockpot or other container large enough to hold the turkey. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours, turning occasionally.

Basic Turkey Brine
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
1/4 Sugar
3 quarts water

Combine ingredients until just boiling and salt and sugar are dissolved. Let cool before adding to turkey.

OR:

Maple Brine (great for the holidays)
3 cups Water
1 1/2 cups maple syrup
1 tbsp. Molasses
1 tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice
2 Bay Leaves
1 tbsp. Kosher Salt
1 tbsp. onion juice
10 Whole Peppercorns
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. whole Mustard Seed

Combine ingredients until just boiling and salt is dissolved. Let cool before adding to turkey.

Directions for Basic Turkey (after brining)

Remove the turkey from the brine; discard the brine. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off and discard the excess fat. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Rub the skin evenly with the butter. Truss the turkey as desired using kitchen twine. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour.Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF and continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices. If the breast begins to cook too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil. After about 2 hours of total roasting time, begin testing for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh, away from the bone. The breast should register 165°F and the thigh, 175°F. Total roasting time should be 3 to 4 hours. Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Serves 12 to 14.


Oven Roasted Turkey with Sage Butter
Tyler Florence

Ingredients
12-14 lb. turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sage Butter, recipe follows


Directions

Remove the turkey from the brine; discard the brine. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off and discard the excess fat. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven. Truss the turkey as desired using kitchen twine. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Cover the turkey with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Push the sage butter under the skin of the turkey, being careful not to puncture the skin.
Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, and into the oven. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound). If the legs or breast brown too quickly during roasting, cover them with foil.
*note- if you are using a larger turkey you will need to increase the time. Follow the 15 minutes per pound rule.*

Sage Butter:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped sage
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients.

Stay tuned for some out of this world stuffing!


Posted by: Sallie & Julia

Buttermilk Waffles---Williams Sonoma vs. King Arthur Flour

I just started making my food shopping list for Christmas. I might have started breaking out in a sweat just looking at the length of my list.  Luckily my Mom and sister will be here to help. My list included over 26 sticks of butter, 17 cups of heavy cream, and 7 packages of cream cheese. (This is for the whole week though, not just Christmas Day. I say that to rationalize the shocking amount of fat I will be consuming.) I hope  no one with a bad heart will be in attendance.  I'd better run a few extra miles in preparation.

To make up for all the goodies that I've already started eating, I decided to skip the treats and post a slightly healthier recipe.

Ever since having these delicious waffles at my sister's house I have been a loyal fan. We have waffles pretty much every Sunday and I freeze the leftovers for quick breakfasts during the week. I'm a huge fan of  Williams Sonoma. They  have so many tried and true, delicious recipes that have become staples at our house.

That being said, I'm also a huge fan of King Arthur Flour. I have this book that has so many yummy recipes. Their buttermilk waffles are no exception. With a whole stick of butter and two teaspoons of vanilla, their flavor is fabulous. No egg white beating required and one batch makes about 10 waffles. Perfect for leftovers during the week.

 My kids love them topped with whipped cream and syrup. What can I say, they take after me. I usually throw in a few banana slices because adding fruit makes me feel better about the whipped cream. I love having two recipes to alternate between and they are both delicious.

Classic Buttermilk Waffles
King Arthur Flour

2 large eggs


1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups Round Table Unbleached Pastry OR 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

2 tablespoons sugar (leave this out if you want savory waffles, such as the type you'd use as a base for creamed chipped beef or creamed chicken)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pecan meal (optional, I never use this)

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter or margarine and vanilla. In another bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients just until almost smooth.

Spray your waffle iron with a non-stick cooking spray before preheating it. For an 8-inch round waffle iron, use about 1/3 cup batter. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the iron stops steaming. Yield: about ten 8-inch waffles.

*cooks note - If you have a scale, this is a recipe where measuring the flour really makes a difference.*

Posted by: Sallie

Another Delicious Cake from Sky High

Being that my daughter Brinley and I have birthdays that are only two days apart, I was a little bit on chocolate overload (I know, shocking) with brownie sundaes and the devils food cupcakes. I wanted something light but delicious. I love my Sky High Triple Layer Cake book and want to eventually make every recipe in it. Every single recipe has turned out amazingly delicious, so of course I started scanning recipes. There were so many delicious sounding cakes but the Lemon Poppy seed Cake with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting caught my eye. It was everything I had hoped. The cake was light, yet moist with a hint of lemon flavor (not overpowering at all!). The frosting, oh my, I am a HUGE fan of pretty much anything with almond extract and paired with cream cheese, sugar and butter, how could it be anything but heavenly? It made me one happy birthday girl! This cake is best enjoyed freshly baked.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake with Almond-Cream Cheese Frosting

Sky High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes

Makes an 8 in. triple layer cake; serves 12-16

3 cups cake flour

2 cups sugar

4 1/1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. poppy seeds

2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature

grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

5 egg whites

1/3 cup water

Almond Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Optional Garnishes:sliced almonds, or poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. butter the bottoms of three 8 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper; butter the paper.

Combine the flour, 1 3/4 cups of the sugar, the baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on low speed, blend to combine and break up any lumps, about 30 seconds.

Add the butter, lemon zest, and 1 cup of the buttermilk to the flour. Beat on low until completely mixed. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1-2 minutes to lighten and aerate the batter.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk; whisk to blend thoroughly. Add the egg white mixture to the batter in 2 or 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating only enough to incorporate. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

While the cake layers are cooling, make a lemon syrup. In a small nonreactive saucepan, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the lemon juice with the water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Turn out the cake onto wire racks (use wax paper underneath to avoid messes) and generously brush the hot lemon syrup over the warm cake layers to moisten evenly. Allow the layers to cool completely.

To frost the cake,place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup of the Almond-Cream Cheese Frosting over the cake to cover evenly. Repeat with the next layer. Set the third layer in place. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Garnish with poppy seeds or sliced almonds.

Almond-Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature

5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon almond extract

In a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat until very fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the almond extract and mix well.

Posted by: Sallie

Lemon Berry Trifle

Before.........

After.......

If you're looking for a beyond delicious, crowd pleasing, show stopping, perfect summer dessert, this is it! Layers of  tender, moist lemon pound cake are accentuated by the most delicious lemon infused whipped cream and topped off with a classic berry syrup.

This is another great recipe for feeding a crowd (although if it would have stayed in my fridge a few more days, I'm pretty sure it would have mysteriously disappeared.)

Although it can be a bit labor intensive, most everything can be made 2-3 days ahead.  You could also simplify things quite a bit by purchasing the pound cake and lemon curd.

Lemon Berry Trifle
Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Note: the trifle should be assembled about 5-8 hours before serving so all the flavors can blend together. All of the components can be made from 1-3 days ahead. Look through the recipe for more specific details.

*Serves 8-10

Berries (can be cooked up to a day in advance and refrigerated):
4 cups berries (a combination of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries), you can use fresh or frozen – if using frozen, they need to be thawed and drained
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Lemon Cream (the lemon curd can be made up to 3 days in advance):
3 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe lemon curd (see below) or an 11-ounce jar lemon curd

Pound Cake (can be made a day in advance or longer, if it is frozen):
1 9-inch round or loaf lemon (or plain) pound cake, homemade (Danielle used this recipe, I wanted to try a new version and typed it up below – both are fantastic) or store-bought, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
Combine the berries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook just until the berries begin to break down, about 3-4 minutes. Take the berries off the heat and let the mixture cool. This can be done a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate the berry syrup until ready to use.
In a clean bowl, whip the cream with the powdered sugar and the vanilla until soft peaks form. Put the lemon curd into a second bowl and whisk in about 1/4 cup of the whipped cream to loosen it up a bit. Then gently fold in the rest of the cream. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.
To assemble the trifle, spoon a layer of the cream into a large glass or trifle bowl. Add a layer of pound cake. You may need to break the pound cake slices into smaller pieces and jigsaw them together to fit. Then drizzle on about 1/3 of the berry syrup. Don’t worry if it doesn’t completely coat the pound cake – just drizzle it across and let the berries fall where they may. Spoon a layer of lemon cream over the top, smoothing to the sides. Repeat all the layers, 2 or 3 more times, depending on the size of the bowl, finishing with a layer of lemon cream. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. It is best to make this several hours before serving and refrigerate it.


Lemon Pound Cake:
adapted from Martha Stewart Living 2002 Annual Recipes
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
Preheat the oven to 324 degrees. Butter and dust with flour a 9-inch round cake pan (or I suppose a loaf pan would work, also). Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Place the butter in a large bowl and using an handheld or stand mixer, beat until soft. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until incorporated after each addition. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes (perhaps longer for a deep loaf pan). Invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

Lemon Curd:
adapted from Martha Stewart Living 2002 Annual Recipes
4 large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons), strained
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
Strain the yolks and whole egg through a fine mesh strainer into a heavy medium saucepan (this took a bit of work – I pressed on the egg mixture with the back of a spoon, moving it around, until they moved through the strainer). Add the sugar and juice; whisk to combine.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the butter, one piece at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in the lemon zest. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming and chill in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Posted by: Sallie

Blueberry Cheesecake Flapjacks

In case you can't tell, I am addicted to cream cheese. This came from a taste of home magazine and tastes as good as it looks. It is definately a dish I would serve to company. It was so yummy. The pancakes were nice and sweet and I loved the filling of the cream cheese and cool whip.

Blueberry Cheesecake Flapjacks

1 pkg. 3 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup whipped topping

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 c. buttermilk

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

3/4 cup maple syrup, warmed

Additional blueberries, if desired.

For topping, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and whipped topping until smooth. Chill until serving.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine the eggs, buttermilk and butter; add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until the second side is golden brown. Spread topping over pancakes. Top with warm syrup; sprinkle with additional blueberries if desired.

*If you use frozen blueberries, do not thaw them to use in the pancakes. Thaw only berries you will use as garnish.*

Cook's Illustrated Light and Fluffy Pancakes **My go-to recipe**

Soon after I was married I knew I would need to aquire some cooking skills. To say that I needed some help in the kitchen was an understatement. I had grown up helping my Mom in the kitchen but the extent of my skills was pretty  much spaghetti, enchiladas and cookies. Mostly cookies. My husband and I still laugh about how many frozen Totino's Pizzas we had in our freezer, disgusting I know!! I think I called my Mom on a daily basis for about 2 months to ask "how do you cook chicken?" or "what is a garlic clove?"  In my defense I was only 19 when I got married and had never lived away from home.

Armed with a recipe file of my childhood favorites my Mom had made for me, the infamous Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook I had received as a wedding gift, and recipes I started collecting from friends, I was ready.

Seeing as how breakfast was my favorite meal and the ingredients were simple, it seemed like a good place to start. Instead of buying convenience foods I started making things like pancakes, waffles and muffins from scratch. I realized that I really enjoyed cooking and  noticed that once I tasted a made-from-scratch version of something, it was really hard to go back to a mix. Cakes, rolls, waffles, brownies. I think I can safely say that homemade was and still is hands down a winner. Not to say that I never use mixes, but often times I find that making things from scratch doesn't take much longer and the results are so much better that I don't mind spending a few extra minutes in the kitchen.

Enter the pancake. What's better than a Saturday morning in your jammies eating pancakes and snuggling with your kiddos ? Not much in my book especially since most of our Saturdays usually consist of getting up for an early morning run followed by a busy day filled with soccer, basketball, dance recitals, etc.

If you know me at all, you know that I am constantly trying new recipes trying to find my favorite or the best. I have tried many pancake recipes but besides these yummy and ultra rich pancakes, these are hands my down, tried and true, go-to favorite.

As the name implies, they are light and fluffy with a sweet and tangy and almost buttery taste. Topped with anything from butter and maple syrup, to whipped cream and strawberries, or peanut butter and bananas, I'm betting these will become a family favorite of yours as well.

P.S. I'm happy to report that in the last 16 years I have 1- vastly improved in the kitchen, 2- haven't touched a Totino's pizza for years, and 3- thanks to this blog, now I'm the one getting the cooking questions.

Light and Fluffy Pancakes

If you have buttermilk on hand, use 2 cups instead of the milk and lemon juice mixture.
**See cook's notes at bottom of recipe*

• 
  
• 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Whisk the lemon juice and milk together in a medium bowl or large measuring cup; set aside to thicken while preparing the other ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to combine.

Whisk the egg and melted butter into the milk until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients in the bowl; pour in the milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined (a few lumps should remain). Do not overmix.

Heat a 12 in. nonstick skillet over medium heat (I always use my trusty griddle) for 3-5 minutes; add 1 tsp oil (more for a griddle. Just eyeball it). and brush to coat the skillet bottom evenly. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto 3 spots on the skillet. Cook pancakes until large bubbled being to appear, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using a thin, wide spatula, flip the pancakes until golden brown on the second side, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Serve immediately. Repeat with remaining batter, using the remaining vegetable oil only if necessary. 

For a delicious blueberry version:

Have ready 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, preferably wild, rinsed and dried. Follow the recipe for Light and Fluffy Pancakes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon blueberries over each pancake just after pouring batter into the pan.

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated The New Best Recipe

Posted by: Sallie

 Cook's Note- **According to my recipe book, taste testers actually preferred the lemon juice and milk mixture over replacing it with buttermilk. I only tried this once and overlooked the fact that they used whole milk. I used 1 percent and I had to disagree. I liked the buttermilk version much better( and I always have it on hand.I rarely buy whole milk)  I will have to try again with whole milk and let you know my verdict.**

Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes

I love pancakes but it seems like 5 minutes after I'm done I'm hungry again. Combine that with the fact that I have some seriously "wheat" suspicious family members and you've got a problem. I really like wheat bread, rolls, etc. but the rest of my family prefers white. I am slowly trying to add more whole grains to our meals but sometimes you just gotta be sneaky! These pancakes fit the bill. They are the best wheat pancakes I've ever had. Because they combine some white and some wheat flour they still taste nice and fluffy. I used whole wheat pastry flour which gave them even more of a light feel. Breakfast passed with no suspicious glances or questioning about the ingredients of the pancakes. In fact my 4 year old asked for seconds! Success, even if it was a little devious! The recipe also included a strawberry sauce which was just ok. If you're interested the recipe can be found here.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ellie Krieger

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour or for really light pancakes use whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, etc. for serving

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through salt). In another medium bowl, beat together the eggs, nonfat milk, buttermilk, honey and vanilla.
Preheat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over a medium-low flame. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to combine them. The batter will be somewhat lumpy. Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup pour the batter onto the griddle or skillet. Flip the pancake when the top is bubbling and it is golden brown on the bottom. Then cook until the other side is golden brown. Hold on an oven proof plate in the oven until the entire batch is ready. When all the pancakes are ready serve with desired toppings. Makes approx 8 really big pancakes.

Coconut Bread

This is one of my all time favorite breads. I got the recipe on my friends Anne and Staci's blog (Good eats with anne and staci) but my friend Andrea gave me the glaze recipe that puts it over the top. It is pure coconut heaven. A sweet, dense bread with coconut throughout and then a yummy coconut glaze on top. I am also super excited because in my Lion House Cookook (where i'm assuming this originated) they have a recipe for Coconut Brunch Cake which is basically this bread with nuts in a bundt pan. (I'm sure if you don't like nuts you could just leave them out.)You can bet it will be showing up on my breakfast table very soon. I will include both recipes.



Coconut Bread



4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2t. coconut flavoring

3 cups flour

1/2t. soda, powder, salt

1 c. buttermilk

1 cup coconut



Mix all together. Bake in two large, greased bread pans. Bake at 325* for 1 hour. Top with glaze.



Glaze



1 cup sugar

1/2 c. water

1 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. coconut extract



Bring to a boil. Add coconut extract. Pour over bread in pans. Let sit 4 hours.



Coconut Brunch Cake



Same ingredients as above except add:



1 cup chopped walnuts (I think pecans would be delicious also)



Add the nuts after the coconut.



Generously grease and flour a 10 in. bundt pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.



Glaze



1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp. butter or margarine

*see note at bottom*



In the meantime, in saucepan mix sugar, water and butter. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. When cake is done, pour hot syrup over top of cake. Allow to stand for 4 hours, then remove from pan.



*The Lion House glaze does not include the coconut extract but I think it would be delicious to add 1 tsp. coconut extract*