Pancakes a la Betty Crocker

I love making pancakes from scratch. They are so quick to whip up with ingredients I always have on hand, and they are so much better than pancakes from a mix! When we first got married I shared this recipe with my husband and since then he has made pancakes so often for me that he has the recipe memorized. What can I say, he loves me and I love pancakes.

I have gotten a couple of requests for my pancake recipe recently. It is just a basic Betty Crocker recipe but I thought I would share it with you today, as well as my trick for freezing the leftover pancakes so they don't stick together. Have I ever mentioned how much I love leftovers? Well I do, and leftover pancakes are no exception!

Two variations on this recipe:
1) if you have buttermilk, by all means use it! However, you'll need to decrease the baking powder to 2 tsp and add 1/2 tsp baking soda.
2) for a very hearty meal, use whole wheat flour (I do about 1/3 cup and use all purpose for the rest so they don't get too heavy) and spread peanut butter on the cakes instead of butter. Sounds gross, but it tastes great and is very filling. This breakfast got me through many a Saturday 12 hour serving shift at Applebee's when I was pregnant with my daughter.

Pancakes a la Betty Crocker

printable recipe 

1 egg

1 cup flour

3/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp oil

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

In a bowl, beat the egg until fluffy. 

Add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.

 Pour about 3 Tbsp batter onto hot griddle (drops of water should skitter when the temp is right). If you are going to add blueberries (or chocolate chips if you want to be really health conscious), now is the time to sprinkle them on. I prefer this method over simply mixing them into the batter because it doesn't crush the berries and ensures even distribution. I am an equal opportunity pancake maker.

When edges are starting to dry and the pancakes are bubbly and puffed, it is time to flip. These are exactly how you want them to look. Ready for the perfect flip?

Beautiful! If you use buttermilk, your pancakes may be a bit darker even though they aren't overcooked. That's just how buttermilk rolls.

My husband likes to keep me fat and happy by adding a little pat of butter to melt onto the top of each pancake while the second side is cooking. Only add the butter to the pancakes you are going to be eating fresh, though.

Serve in a stack with hot syrup poured on top. Yummy! Wasn't that easy? Please pretend not to notice the chip in my plate. This is our life, flaws and all.

Bonus: my trick for freezing pancakes without having them all stick together (this works for cookies too).

Let pancakes cool to room temperature. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper and stick in the freezer for 20 minutes to an hour. Or forget about them all day like I did. When you finally do remember them, pull them out, place in a freezer bag, and put back in the freezer. They will not be stuck together when you pull them out for breakfast tomorrow next week.