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I had good intentions of posting a cute St. Pat’s idea today, but the ingredients are still sitting on my counter after being purchased two weeks ago. You know. Before all &%*$ broke loose again around here.
Best of intentions and all that! Anywho…
In the meantime, I was looking back at the past few posts and thinking about how this week has translated in our eating habits – which, to be honest, it hasn’t. I’ve been sustaining myself on a ridiculous amount of Diet Mtn Dew (seriously, I may need an intervention), and the only kid who has been willing to eat anything this week was Aidan, and that was only under duress since he never wants to eat anyway. When he does eat, all he wants is cereal, and this week that was fine with me.
At least that explains why once again after only a few days my granola supply has dwindled again so much. I’ll be making more sooner than I thought apparently.
Anyway, while I was thinking about this translates into the food we eat in our lives when we’re being hectic and scattered (and grumpy on my part!) it made me realize I make a lot of pancakes around here. A LOT of pancakes. I have several recipes I like, depending on my mood, what ingredients I have, etc. The issue lately has been that every time I ask Cole what he’ll eat, he says ‘pancakes’ (at least before Cole got sick, decided not to eat anything and to lose 1.5 lbs and slip right back off the weight chart). This could be on a day when he decides to wake up only 30 minutes before he is supposed to be at preschool. I can mix and make pancakes from scratch pretty stinkin’ fast, but honestly, not in 30 minutes while still having enough time to get him to eat them and get ready. Not even if I multitask like a wild woman!
This has brought me around to the possible idea of pancake mix again. I’ve tried some of the store bought ones in the past and they aren’t too bad, but I just have a really hard time paying for anything premixed in a box or bag that I can just make from scratch. So I don’t buy mixes. I don’t like to commit any part of my grocery budget to them.
I remembered that one of my BFF’s makes a pancake mix using powdered buttermilk and that a few years ago (almost three now to be precise) we had them and loved them. Well, this recipe uses the same buttermilk, but is a different mix.
Let me preface all this by saying that, yes, it uses a whole lot of shortening. I’m lucky and can find the good stuff (you know, without the bad stuff) where I live. If you can’t, I’ve made this recipe several times before and we LOVE them too and it uses oil instead of shortening. I think it works because of the oats and wheat though, but wouldn’t work here. I’m working on modifying the recipe here, but if you or your kids want to have a straight up buttermilk version then this is a really good one (you know, comfort food, not health food – after all, we are on a fattening the kids up crusade here at our house, and though they don’t usually mind getting the oat/whole wheat version, sometimes only these will do!).
I’ve included links at the bottom of this post to all my other favorite pancake recipes. As for these buttermilk pancakes from the homemade mix, they are tender, light, easy and super fast to make and by modifying the original method a bit the mix gets a really smooth, silky texture. We all love these pancakes and I seriously love having a big jar of mix in the fridge to scoop from that I know what went into it and how fresh it is.
Homemade Buttermilk Pancake Mix
2 1/4 lbs or 8 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/3 cup evaporated cane sugar (or regular sugar)
1/4 cup cultured buttermilk powder (SACO Cultured Buttermilk Blend is what I used)
1 teaspoon malted barley flour (optional, I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (I like Spectrum brand)
In a large stand mixer, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, sugar, buttermilk powder and malted barley flour if using. Add the shortening in small spoonfuls until it is mixed well and the mixture resembles corn meal. For a silky smooth texture before storing your pancake mix, transfer small batches to the bowl of a food processor and process until it is a fine powder and smooth. Store the mix in a tightly covered container (a clean gallon jar works great!) and keep it in the refrigerator. This amount will almost completely fill a gallon jar.
Buttermilk Pancakes
1 1/4 cups buttermilk pancake mix (recipe above)
1 large egg
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
Whisk together in a large glass measuring cup with a spout until just smooth. Pour from the cup onto a hot griddle by about 1/4 cupfuls. Cook on first side until bubbles start to form around the edges then turn the pancake over and cook the other side until golden (about 1 minute per side is all you need).
Makes about 12 3-inch pancakes.
PW’s Sour Cream Pancakes
Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Blueberry Pancakes
Apple Oat Pancakes
Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the SACO buttermilk and use it all the time for biscuits, doughnuts, and bread. Thanks for another great recipe to add to my repertoire!
I love pancakes, but have been really disappointed lately in the ones I have made. I am going to make this! Thank you! Do you now if this will work for Belgian waffles?
Hi Pam,
I haven’t tried making waffles with the mix yet, but the website where I adapted the pancake mix from does have a waffle version using the mix too. If you give it a try I’d love to know how they turn out!
http://sacofoods.com/recipes/view/quick-mix-buttermilk-waffles
Holly
I love their powdered buttermilk!
I didn’t know Bob’s redmill carried malted barley flour, but now I’m excited! I have been wanting to try making some bread that contained that, but I didn’t know where to get it. I’ve been wanting to experiment with whole wheat bread recipes and include malted barley flour.
This recipe sounds wonderful. It would be one sitting’s worth for my family! We might end up with a few leftover pancakes, but it wouldn’t be too many! I’ve been using powdered eggs in my pancakes as we eat from our pantry; I save the eggs that we have been blessed to receive for recipes that need eggs to rise, or for just having eggs.
that sounds great! love the idea of making the mix ahead!!!