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Perfect Pancakes

We LOVE pancakes, but I have been struggling as of late to find a wholesome and delicious pancake mix. Not long ago, I decided we could eat healthier, and likely save a bit of money on our food budget, if I started to make some of our mixes from scratch. The boys LOVE to eat pancakes for breakfast, and oftentimes for lunch or dinner, so finding a better pancake batter seemed a good place to start. I tried a couple that sounded more promising on paper than they tasted on the fork before happening upon one actually called The Perfect Pancake Mix.

This morning, the boys and I mixed up a batch of The Perfect Pancake Mix. They had questions about a few of the ingredients: crushed seven-grain cereal, wheat germ, cornmeal… but in the end, their desire for pancakes drizzled with Vermont maple syrup overcame their unfamiliar ingredient anxieties and they tried a first bite, and then a second, and a third… Ryan ate NINE pancakes; Connor devoured EIGHT! Both boys agreed this was indeed The PERFECT Pancake Mix, and so I thought I’d share the recipe. It comes from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Disney’s Family Cookbook. A cookbook from the editor’s of Family Fun Magazine, whose kid-friendly recipes are easy, nutritious, and above all, delicious, not just for kids, but for Moms and Dads, as well.

The Perfect Pancake Mix

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking soda
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
2 cups whole wheat or oat flour, or a combination
1 cup seven grain cereal (available at whole food stores)
1 cup cornmeal
4 Tbsp. wheat germ (optional)
 

In a large mixing bowl, sift the all purpose flour with the baking solda, baking powder, salt and optional sugar. Drop in the remaining flour, cereal, cornmeal, and wheat germ and stir until thoroughly blended. Store in an airtight container and, if using wheat germ, refrigerate (or freeze). Makes 7 1/2 cups, enough for 15 batches of 5 pancakes.


Perfect Pancakes

1 Tbsp. butter
1 egg
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, or milk (we used milk)
1/2 cup The Perfect Pancake Mix

Set a griddle or skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Lightly beat the egg with the yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, or milk. Add the pancake mix and stir just until smooth.

Ladle the batter onto the skillet. Turn the pancakes when you see air bubbles on the surface (about 1 minute). Serve with maple syrup, jam, yogurt, or confectioner’s sugar. Makes about 5 medium pancakes. (I doubled the recipe, and then whipped up a second batch for my approving, clearly ravenous little boys!)

What’s up next? Sunday Waffles, another recipe from Disney’s Family Cookbook, prepared with The Perfect Pancake Mix!

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