Whole Wheat Pancakes

I very rarely order pancakes when I'm out for breakfast. I'm definitely not anti-pancake, but they're so easy to make at home and quite often turn out better. I also greatly prefer whole (or multi-) grain pancakes to those made with white flour, which are definitely harder to come by even in a wonderful food city like Madison. Fortunately for me, a big batch of these pancakes take very little time to make. Made entirely with whole grains, they're a bit denser than your average white flour pancake, but that makes them feel hearty and satisfying instead of heavy and cumbersome. They're absolutely delicious with the traditional butter and (real) maple syrup, but extras can also be repurposed with great success into breakfast sandwiches. If you have a little time and want to go the savory route, I recommend a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich (dipped into maple syrup, of course). For something a bit healthier and more suited for breakfast on the run, a smear of almond or peanut butter with sliced bananas or apples in the perfect solution. Extra pancakes freeze wonderfully so investing the time for one generous batch of pancakes can provide breakfast for days. Whether you're gathering friends and family around the table for a feast or just want a freezer full of breakfasts at the ready, this recipe is the answer.

 

Whole Wheat Pancakes

adapted from Martha Stewart

makes about one dozen 4- to 5-inch pancakes, serving six

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk (I used powdered buttermilk, following the instructions on the package)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable-oil cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Whisk together flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk in buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Let stand 10 minutes (if batter thickens, stir in 1 tablespoon water).

2. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Spoon in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles appear. Flip, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Keep warm in oven while you cook remaining batter.

Whole Wheat Flax Pancakes

Two of my favorite rituals when I was a kid were Saturday morning pancakes or waffles and breakfast for dinner. As an adult, these still feel like special events and with football season over (for Packer fans), I'm switching out my weekly Packer snack for breakfast for dinner on Sunday nights. I love ritual and routine, so having this to look forward to goes a long way toward ameliorating the dread of returning to work Monday morning that so often creeps in on Sunday night. Since I've probably gorged myself on a meal out during the weekend, I want my breakfast for dinner to be at least somewhat healthy (most of the time), and that's where these whole wheat flax pancakes come in. Much more flavorful and hearty than their white flour counterparts, these nutty pancakes are the perfect companion to a healthy pat of butter and generous drizzling of maple syrup (and a side of bacon or sausage doesn't hurt either). If you've cooked up a batch of bacon before starting the pancakes, fry the pancakes in the bacon grease for extra crispy edges and just a bit of smoky flavor. Homemade pancakes take just a little more time than the just-add-water-mix kind, so next time the craving hits, whip up a batch of these pancakes instead and reward your efforts with flavor and nutrition.

Whole Wheat Flax Pancakes
makes about 12 pancakes
adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup dried buttermilk powder*
2 tablespoons brown sugar, maple sugar, maple syrup, or honey
1/3 cup whole flax meal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
1 1/2 cups water*
*Or substitute 1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) of buttermilk in place of the buttermilk powder and water

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Whisk together the eggs, oil or melted butter, vanilla, and water (and honey or maple syrup, if using).

3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and whisk until blended. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes (it will thicken slightly). Add extra water or flour to adjust the consistency for thinner or thicker pancakes.

4. Preheat a griddle to medium high (350°F), and grease it well.

5. Scoop the batter by the 1/4-cupful onto the griddle.

6. Cook until bubbles on the top begin to pop, then turn and brown the other side.

7. Serve hot with maple syrup, or fresh fruit and yogurt.

Whole Wheat Ricotta Pancakes

I love breakfast for dinner. Be it a hearty plate of pancakes or waffles or savory bacon and eggs, a big breakfast for dinner always feels like a treat. I'm still lucky enough to have a few jars of Perfect Blueberry Syrup that I made from farmer's market blueberries this summer and when I was puzzling over what to do with the leftover ricotta cheese from Healthy Macaroni and Cheese, I instantly thought of ricotta pancakes. I'm never going to order pancakes at IHOP and instant pancake mixes don't interest me, but I love special pancakes like these (and all the wonderful ones I've tried from Good to the Grain like the absolutely fantastic Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes). The ricotta makes these pancakes slightly sweet and wonderfully smooth and creamy and when topped with sliced almonds, more ricotta, and blueberry syrup feels you're getting away with having dessert for breakfast, even though these are pretty healthy (or you could go all out and add whipped cream, toasted coconut, chocolate chips, and almonds). Cheese pretty much makes everything better, so I'm not surprised I love these pancakes so much. If you want a quick and easy to prepare breakfast to impress your family on Christmas morning that fills them up but leaves room for the feasting ahead, this may be just the recipe for you.


Whole Wheat Ricotta Pancakes
adapted from Food and Wine
serves 2 to 4

1 cup part-skim ricotta
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons honey

Sliced, toasted almonds, for serving (optional)
Perfect Blueberry Syrup, for serving (optional)
Additional ricotta cheese, for serving (optional)

1. In a blender, mix the ricotta, eggs, egg whites, flour, oil, vanilla, salt and honey until smooth.

2. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick griddle over moderately low heat. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake, allowing enough room for them to spread slightly. Cook the pancakes until the bottoms are golden, the tops are slightly set and small bubbles appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden, about 1 minute longer. Top with additional ricotta cheese, sliced almonds, and blueberry syrup if desired and serve warm.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

What better start to a rainy Sunday morning than a big plate of hot pancakes? A cool fall morning is the perfect time to further indulge my obsession with pumpkin-flavored foods with a plate of warm pumpkin pancakes and a homemade pumpkin spice latte. The delicious of aroma of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger filled the whole house with comfort and relaxation as these pancakes cooked on the griddle and was the perfect way to ease my way into a lazy Sunday. I froze the extras for a quick and satisfying weekday breakfasts.

The original recipe called for all-purpose flour, but I substituted it completely with whole wheat pastry flour. Whole wheat flour has a much more interesting flavor than white and the light texture of pastry flour is perfect for pancakes. I nearly always prefer whole wheat or other whole grain flours over white flour, but you may want to use all-purpose flour, especially since most people probably don't have whole wheat pastry flour in the pantry.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
adapted from Bon Appetit, via Epicurious
makes 12 pancakes

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick). 

2. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 2 additions. 

3. Brush large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil between batches. Serve with syrup.

Oatmeal Pancakes

I decided to make pancakes for dinner just because I wanted to enjoy more homemade blueberry syrup. I made a second batch of syrup a week or two ago because the first batch went so quickly and apparently not a moment too soon, since, much to my disappointment, the woman selling blueberries wasn't at the farmer's market this past weekend. I wasn't ready for fresh blueberries to be gone, but I'm happy to have a few jars of blueberry syrup to savor over the coming months.

After great success with Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes from Good to the Grain, I decided to try out Kim Boyce's oatmeal pancakes recipe. Pancakes can range from dense and bland, to light and flavorful, and Kim Boyce does pancakes and waffles right. I've yet to be disappointed with a recipe from her cookbook and will keep happily making her whole grain recipes until I run out new ones to try, and then come back to my favorites. These pancakes are wonderfully moist and complement the blueberry syrup well, yet are light and airy when mixed with a light hand.

Oatmeal Pancakes
from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce
makes about 18 pancakes

When I cook the things I make almost every day, like roasted vegetables or pot of oatmeal, I usually have a bit left over, or I make a bit extra on purpose. This foresight provides handy components for other dishes and saves time when making meals. A cup of cooked oatmeal adds moisture to breads and other baked goods. Stirred into this pancakes batter, the oatmeal creates tenderness and a bit of chew. The molasses provides sweetness and enhances the creamy taste of the oats. These pancakes can be topped with your favorite syrup or jam, and they're fantastic with homemade Apple Butter.

Butter for the pan

Dry Mix:
 3/4 c. oat flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. kosher salt

Wet Mix:
3 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1.25 c. whole milk
1 c. cooked oatmeal (see Note below)
1 T. unsulphured (not blackstrap) molasses
2 eggs

Note: If you don't have any cooked oatmeal on hand, make a quick batch. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water, 1 cup of whole rolled oats, and a pinch of salt to a boil. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes, then cool on the stove while you continue with the recipe. You'll have some extra oatmeal, which you can eat while you're cooking or save for another recipe.

1. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back into the bowl any bits of grain or other ingredients that may remain in the sifter. Whisk together the butter, milk, oatmeal, molasses, and eggs until thoroughly combined.

2. Using a spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients For tender pancakes, it is important that you use a light hand while folding the batter with the spatula. The batter should be slightly thick, with a holey surface.

3. Although the batter is best if used immediately, it can sit for up to 1 hour on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator. When you return to the batter, it will be very thick and should be thinned, 1 tablespoon at a time, with milk-take care not to overmix.

4. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed onto the pan. Rub the pan generously with butter; this is the key to crisp, buttery edges, my favorite part of any pancake. Working quickly, dollop 1/4-cup mounds of batter onto the pan, 2 or 3 at a time. Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancakes, flip the pancake and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes total. Wipe the pan with a cloth before griddling the next batch. Tub the pan with butter and continue with the rest of the batter. If the pan is too hot or not hot enough, adjust the flame accordingly to keep results consistent.

5. Serve the pancakes hot, straight from the skillet, spooning on a bit of apple butter or the topping of your choice.

Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes

My newest cookbook obsession is Good to the Grain, which is about baking with whole grain flours. Whenever I get a new cooking magazine or cookbook, I go through page-by-page, marking every recipe I want to try soon with a Post-It. With this cookbook, I've marked more than half of the recipes. Normally I wouldn't consider a pancake recipe worthy of mention, but this one definitely is. Even though these are made entirely from whole-grain flour, they are surprisingly light, yet filling. I love the flavor of the buckwheat flour with subtle hints of pear and it's nice to get away from the basic buttermilk or whole-wheat pancakes I usually make.


Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes
from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce

makes about 12 pancakes

Fragrant ripe pears and rich honey butter are a great match for the dark, earthy flavors of buckwheat flour in these pancakes-imagine a plate of traditional blini but bigger, heartier, and laden with fruit. Choose a honey with a sweet, mild flavor, such as acacia or orange-blossom. And make sure that your pears are juicy and ripe, but not so soft that they fall apart when you grate them. If you don't have whole-grain pastry flour, use all-purpose flour instead. The pancakes won't have quite the pillowy texture they would with pastry flour, but they'll have the same delicious flavor.

Butter for the pan

Dry mix:
1 c. buckwheat flour
1 c. whole-grain pastry flour
3 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. kosher salt

Wet Mix:
2 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1.25 c. whole milk
1 egg
2 medium pears, ripe but firm

Finish:
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. honey


1. Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, pouring back into the bowl any bits of grains or other ingredients that may remain in the sifter.

2. Whisk the melted butter, milk, and egg until thoroughly combined.

3. Peel the pears. Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the whole peeled pears into the milk mixture; the pear juice should fall into the milk along with the grated pears.

4. Using a spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently combine. For tender pancakes, it is important that you use a light hand as you gently fold the batter with the spatula. The batter should be slightly thick, with small pieces of pear flecked throughout.

5. Although the batter is best if used immediately, it can sit for about an hour on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator. When you return to the batter, it will be very thick and should be thinned, 1 tablespoon at a time, with milk-take great care not to overmix.

6. Meanwhile, melt the butter and honey together in a small saucepan and cook until boiling, emulsified, and slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the honey butter into a serving pitcher and set it in a warm place near the stove.

7. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed on the pan. Rube the pan generously with butter; this is the key to crisp, buttery edges, my favorite part of any pancake. Working quickly, dollop 1/4-cup mounds of batter on to the pan, 2 or 3 at a time. Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancakes, flip it over and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes total.

8. Wipe the pan with a cloth before griddling the next batch. Rub the pan with butter and continue with the rest of the batter. If the pan is too hot or not hot enough, adjust the flame accordingly to keep results consistent.

9. Serve the pancakes hot, straight from the skillet, with the pitcher of honey butter, encouraging your guests to pour liberally.