Mornings with pancakes....

Familiar and comforting, pancakes are sure to please your family and houseguests. The classic pancake has many variations, but the buttermilk pancake is its highest form. Properly made, it is extra light, almost nothing in your mouth. Its flavor is also more complex. Buttermilk is, of course, the magic ingredient. It not only adds flavor, but also acid which reacts strongly to the baking soda. This is one of the key reasons for the lightness of the pancake. Just buy one quart every few weeks and keep it on hand. It isn’t expensive and it keeps well.

You won’t need anything fancy for equipment, just a set of measuring spoons and cups. A whisk is nice, as it makes it easier to mix everything, but a big spoon will work. You’ll also need 2 separate bowls, one for mixing the dry ingredients and one for the wet.

Once you’ve have had buttermilk pancakes like this, there is no going back…

Milk Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ - ¾ cup milk chocolate chips

Pam cooking spray (for cooking)

In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and let batter set for a few minutes.

Heat griddle or pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, if or when the drops start to dance its hot enough.

Pour ⅛ cup of batter onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone.

Let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Makes enough for four people

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If you don’t have buttermilk, in a pinch you can do one of the following:

Lemon and Milk
In a 1-cup measuring cup, add 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Top the lemon juice with skim, low fat or whole milk. Stir and let sit for two minutes. After two minutes, your milk is both acidic and curdled.

Yogurt and Milk
Mix ¾ cup plain yogurt with ¼ cup of milk. Stir and make it a quick substitution for buttermilk.