Sunday Morning Pancakes

Excuse me if I start to trail off, it is the breakfast coma setting in. Long night last night and rough morning with the kids warranted something decadent for breakfast....and this isn't even bad for you! In moderation of course. Don't eat the entire butter roll and then get mad at me when your pants don't fit.

I've tried many pancake recipes. I always gravitate towards whole wheat pancakes because they seem to fill me up faster and keep me full longer. Yay for unprocessed foods!

The best part about the pancakes is they are quick and easy. Tangy from the buttermilk and a bit nutty from the flour. Feel free to experiment with additions. My family is particularly fond of bananas added just before they get flipped so the bananas caramelize a bit. You could easily add blueberries, chocolate chips, peaches...get creative!

This morning, these pancakes were a vehicle for this amazing butter I made last night. I ran across a recipe for strawberry butter, but wanted to improve on it. I have a boatload of basil growing in my garden and love the combination of strawberries and basil. It might sound a little odd, but trust me. The basil adds such a refreshing touch to the strawberry and butter combination. It really cuts the richness of the butter. Feel free to experiment with the amounts of sugar or omit it completely if you have really sweet berries.  I only had frozen but am anxious to try it with fresh. Unfortunately fresh berries never last long as my kids are scavengers at heart and can sense whenever they are in the house. If you are using frozen berries, it is imperative that they are thawed.

Let's get to it, shall we? Hungry kids await.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
serves 4

1 cup whole wheat flour (use whole wheat pastry flour if you don't want the look of whole wheat)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 large egg whites
2 tsp. oil
1 T. honey
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla


Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, create a well and add wet ingredients. Stir until just mixed. Don't over-stir!

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Use 1/4 cup measure to spoon out batter. When the batter starts to bubble, add your additions if you wish (bananas, chocolate chips, peaches..) When the edges set, flip.

Top with syrup, jam, honey or my favorite Strawberry-Basil Butter!

Strawberry-Basil Butter

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries (frozen MUST be thawed)
4 basil leaves
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate until firm. I would recommend making this the night before so it has time to set up.

Have a great Sunday! I'm going to work on picking up the pieces...