Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes

I found this recipe in one of my older cookbooks, Better Homes and Gardens Bread Cookbook from 1963.

I love these retro / vintage cookbooks and have fun paging through them and trying a recipe that may have been a favorite back in the day. 

I made these one weekend morning when I wanted to try a new pancake recipe, they seemed simple enough that even picky husband, a pancake traditionalist, might like them.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Better Homes and Gardens Bread Cookbook

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 teaspoon soda (baking soda)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

~

2 slightly beaten eggs

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons melted butter

Sift flour, soda, salt, and sugar into bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter, stirring only until flour is barely moistened. (There will be a few lumps.)  I'm going to add to just make sure they aren't big lumps, I like to whisk everything together pretty well so there are no flour clumps in pancakes, haven't had that issue with this recipe, but have in the past with recipes that say to barely stir anything.

Bake on hot, lightly greased griddle or electric skilled heated to 375 degrees. For uniform pancakes, use a 1/4 cup measure - or use a drip-cup pitcher and count 1-2-3 as you pour.

Turn cakes when center springs back to touch, or when bubbles on surface break. Flip cakes only once. Makes about 1 and 1/2 dozen 4 inch cakes. I made them a little bigger and got a good dozen.

 ~~~~~

These were great, they definitely had that old fashioned buttermilk tang that lots of pancakes nowadays miss. I love trying pancake recipes and  do have a favorite non buttermilk pancake recipe that I've perfected over the years to my family's tastes but this is now my go-to buttermilk pancake recipe.  A nice recipe to have when you find yourself with a half used container of buttermilk on the verge of expiring and want to use it up...

These were absolutely delicious with some butter and grade B maple syrup. The whole family enjoyed them and that always makes me smile! Happy breakfasting :)

Finnish Pancakes with Cranberry Sauce

These delicious pancakes were my pick for My Kitchen My World -- Finland. I found the recipe in a Pancake cookbook I have, and also found the recipe here online in an old newspaper article. The article is from a November 1957 edition of the Park City Daily News from Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Finnish Pancakes with Cranberry Sauce
adapted from Park City Daily News

1 cup sifted flour
1 and 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon melted butter


Mix flour and milk until very smooth. Let stand.

Beat egg yolks, sugar, salt and cinnamon until thick and creamy. Add to flour mixture along with the melted butter, blend well.  (Looking at my photos, it looks like I may have mixed up the directions a bit, sorry!) Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

To make pancakes, melt a little butter in a skillet and when it is very hot drop in spoonfuls of the pancake mixture to make little cakes. (I did this on an electric griddle and did not use extra butter.)

Brown on both sides, add additional butter as needed.

Cranberry Topping

4 cups fresh cranberries (I used frozen)

2 and 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/2 small lemon, sliced very thin

Combine cranberries, sugar, water, and lemon.

Bring to a boil until berries pop and sauce thickens. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Chill.

~~~~~

These pancakes were so light and delicious, they have a nice soft texture and were thinner than the usual American pancake we are used to, and were a nice change of pace. The cinnamon in the pancakes paired with the cranberry sauce reminded me of Thanksgiving.  I made these as breakfast for kids one morning while picky husband was working and served them with whipped cream. 

The cranberry sauce was perfectly sweet / tart and made a delicious topping.  The cranberry sauce recipe made a ton! I still have a bowl of it in the fridge that we are using as waffle and yogurt topping, so cut the topping recipe if half if you do not want a ton of leftovers.  All three kids and I loved these pancakes and would make them again for sure.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Pancakes

I found this recipe one morning on allrecipes looking for a fun new pancake to try while picky husband was working. He is not a fan of pancakes with any other flavors than the traditional buttermilk pancake. Not even blueberry. I, on the other hand, love just about any pancake you can make, and the kids do as well, so when he is working it's fun to try something a little different. These were amazing and everyone loved them, a make again pancake for sure! In the original recipe the pancakes were served with jam, which was great, we also liked them with some raspberry syrup, as shown.


Oatmeal Peanut Butter Pancakes
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups skim milk
2 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons natural peanut butter (I used Jiff, we like it with both smooth or crunchy)
2 tablespoons melted butter
cooking spray
1/4 cup strawberry jam (or fruit syrup, we love the Smucker's brand fruit syrups when we don't have any homemade around)

Combine oats, flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Set bowl aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the skim milk, eggs, peanut butter, and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix the batter.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray (I don't do this since our griddle is nonstick). Pour 1/4 cupfuls (a little more for larger pancakes) of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with strawberry jam.

~~~

The kids and I love these pancakes. They are hearty and will keep you full well until lunch time. The flavor and texture add a nice change of pace to the standard buttermilk breakfast pancake. These are also wonderful topped with sliced bananas, whipped cream, and a drizzle of honey :)

Jamie Oliver's Blueberry Breakfast Pancakes

Our theme of the week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs is Happy Days with Jamie and what could be happier than a big stack of blueberry pancakes for breakfast? Also this is the easiest pancake recipe I've ever tried, and pancake recipes are usually pretty easy to begin with.

Note from Jamie preceding the recipe : These are the fluffiest, loveliest American-style pancakes ever. My girls ask me for them all the time and I get big brownie points whenever I make them. The recipe couldn’t be easier to remember and what’s brilliant about it is that it works like a charm every single time. You can have fun with it by switching up the fruit; strawberries, apples, blackberries, blueberries and bananas are all delicious in these pancakes so feel free to swap out the pears for any of those. The batter will keep as good as gold in the fridge for a day or two if you have any leftover.

I doubled this recipe, and went with blueberries as my fruit since we had some in the fridge to use up, can't wait to give these a go with other fruits. Also I think that this would be a wonderful recipe for a young chef to help you with (or possibly do all on their own!)

Blueberry Breakfast Pancakes

from Jamie Oliver's website recipe here

• 1 cup self rising flour (not something I usually have on hand, but I had wanted to try some biscuits with White Lily flour and now have four 5 lb bags to use up)


• 1 cup of milk


• 1 egg, preferably free-range or organic


• a pinch of sea salt


• 1 pear or other fruit (I used about 2 cups of blueberries for a double recipe, so 1 cup for a single)


• a few knobs of butter


• natural yoghurt, to serve


• runny honey, to serve (I love pancakes with honey, but the kids wanted maple syrup)


• I added a tablespoon of sugar per batch, since we like sweeter pancakes

Put the flour, milk, egg and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Once combined, grate in the pear, core and all then stir it through with a spoon. (Or add in the blueberries)

Put a large pan on a medium heat and add a knob of butter. Once that melts, add the batter, a spoonful at a time to the hot pan. You’ll need to cook them in batches, cooking them for a few minutes until golden on the bottom then flipping over and cooking for a few minutes more until they’re done. (I cooked these on my electric griddle)

When they are golden and fluffy serve them right away with a dollop of natural yoghurt and some runny honey drizzled all over the top.

~~~end of recipe~~~

These were quick, easy, and delicious, what more could you ask for? Picky husband was sleeping in, which worked out well because he doesn't like blueberries and won't eat blueberry pancakes, crazy, yes, I know. The kids and I loved these and the leftovers held up well in the fridge for a couple of days and we able to be microwaved and still tasted great. Happy Days food for sure :)

ETA: Sorry the post is so spread out, I am having trouble with blogger and typing up a post with proper spacing...I think it looks awful and have tried everything to fix it -- it's really bugging me...

Russian Buttermilk Pancakes -- Oladi

I made these a while ago and didn't get to posting them until now. I found the recipe while I was looking for Russian recipes, and could not resist giving these pancakes a try. They feature buttermilk which gives them a creamy texture and great tangy flavor. I served these with butter, sugared lingonberries, sour cream, and drizzled with honey. They make a great breakfast or brunch dish that is quite different from regular pancakes.

Oladi -- Russian Buttermilk Pancakes
recipe from Russian Food for Kiwis

• 4 cups buttermilk
• 10oz/20 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Beat the eggs together then whisk in the buttermilk.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, sugar and salt.

Gradually add the flour mixture into the egg and buttermilk and mix well.

Put the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps. The batter should be dense but liquid.

Heat a flat bottomed pan and melt a little butter or oil to prevent sticking. Slowly pour 5-6 small rounds into the pan. Cook until bubbles start to form on the top of the uncooked side. Flip and cook on the other side until golden, approximately 2 minutes per side.

Put in a tea towel to keep warm until ready to serve.

Oladi are great on their own or with a sweet topping, like jam or honey. For a special treat top with sour cream and caviar. -- end of recipe --


These were delicious and I think they definitely needed the toppings, their texture is new and unexpected in a pancake, they were almost souffle like. The kids enjoyed these with the toppings pictured and also with maple syrup.

If you give these a try I hope you like them! The kids and I always have fun trying new recipes from other countries and I was pleasantly surprised with how much my kids enjoyed these since they kind of look like a typical pancake but taste quite different. I would make these again, especially if we have some buttermilk to use up, which happens somewhat frequently around here :)

Johnny Cakes -- Early American Cornmeal Pancakes

July's destination at My Kitchen My World was the Good Old U. S. of A. and after much deliberating I decided to make an early American cornmeal pancake recipe called Johnny Cakes. This recipe is believed to have been taught to US settlers by Native Americans.

Johnny Cakes go by many names, one of the more popular being Journey Cakes -- because they were an easy food to make on a journey and also held up well to traveling after making. Shawnee Cake is another popular name, which gives credit to the Shawnee Indians for teaching this recipe to early settlers.

Johnny Cakes
adapted from About.com

1/2 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup hot milk
1 tablespoon melted butter -- plus more for griddle, if desired

Mix the dry ingredients, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Drop or pour on the hot, greased griddle or drop in iron skillet and fry to golden brown on both sides. Serve with butter and syrup as for pancakes, or serve as a bread with butter. Serves 4 to 6. You can also serve these as a side dish at a savory meal.


We enjoyed these with butter and maple syrup. My kids all liked them and I thought they were delicious too, but I don't think I've ever met a pancake I didn't like :) They were dense and slightly chewy with a great little crunch from the cornmeal around the edges. I will be making Johnny Cakes again for sure, and really enjoyed the little history lesson I got to share with my kids.

Bean Griddlecakes with Spiced Rice and Coconut Curry Sauce

This week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs is Spice Caravan, and I had a great time coming up with some spicy Mark Bittman dishes. I started out making Bittman's Rick with Chickpeas and made the Spiced Rice with Chickpeas and Almonds variation.

Spiced Rice with Chickpeas and Almonds
adapted from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian

1 tbsp olive oil -- I used ghee
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp curry powder
1 and 1/2 cups chopped ripe tomato with juice or canned (don't drain) -- I used Muir Glen Fire Roasted
1 cup vegetable broth (I ended up needing a full 14 ounce can to cook the rice properly) -- I used Swanson Vegetarian Vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice -- I used Roland Basmati
1 cup cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) -- Mark says you can use drained canned or cooked dried
toasted sliced almonds
*we also added about 1 cup of raisins

Heat the ghee (or oil) in a large pot and add the spices and cook for a minute or so. Add the tomato, stock, bay leaf, and some salt, bring to a boil.



Stir in the rice and chickpeas (garbanzo beans), cover, and turn the heat down to low so that the mixture bubbles gently. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Stir in the raisins if using, top with almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I had originally planned to just make the rice, then for leftover lunch the next day I decided to make Mark's Bean Griddlecakes. You can use any bean, and since I had a bunch of garbanzos after slow cooking 1 lb of dried, I decided to use those up in the Griddlecakes.

Curry Chickpea / Garbanzo Bean Griddlecakes
adapted from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian

2 cups cooked or canned drained beans
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 egg
2 tbsp melted butter
1 cup flour
salt to taste, depending on beans
1 tsp curry powder

Set a skillet or heat an electric griddle (what I use) to 375. Put the beans in a large bowl and mash them roughly. Stir in the milk, egg, and butter, stir until combined.

Add the flour and sprinkle with salt, stir until well combined. It should be the consistency of thick pancake batter. Working in batches, scoop out about 1/3 cup of batter onto griddle to make 3-4 inch griddlecakes. Cook until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 4 minutes per side. Serve hot or at room temperature.


I had some leftover spiced rice and garbanzo bean griddlecakes, and thought a curry sauce would be perfect to tie everything together. I made my super quick version of a coconut curry sauce and it went really well with the rice and griddlecakes.

Quick Coconut Curry Sauce

1 can coconut milk (14 ounces)
2 tbsp butter or ghee
2 tsp curry powder (you can start with 2 and up as desired, or use 1 tsp for a lighter flavor)
1/2 cup shredded coconut


In small sauce pan over low heat melt butter and coconut milk. Let it come to a low simmer and add in the curry powder. Simmer on very low for at least 10 minutes or until desired thickness, stir in shredded coconut before serving. Spoon over rice, griddlecakes, steamed veggies, etc.


This was all so delicious together, definitely the most flavorful meal I've had in a long time, and so many textures too. This last picture looks like a huge plate full of food but it was only 1/2 cup of the rice and two bean griddle cakes, but after adding the curry sauce and toasted almonds it looks gargantuan! It reminds me of a Thanksgiving dinner plate, filled to the brim with yummy food and then smothered in gravy :)