I love to wake early in the morning and make pancakes. While stirring the batter ingredients, I’m reminded of yellow tulips mingling with earth. I love the perfume of butter rising from the pan. Tulips, waffles, doughnuts, cookies and pancakes are Dutch contributions to our lives. This thick batter actually produces light pancakes. Try piping batter into the pan in shapes like flowers or names.  If you want to make blueberry pancakes, drop a few blueberries on pancakes when you see bubbles forming. There are topping ideas at the end of this recipe and a variation using oil and all-purpose flour instead of the whole-wheat flour.

Pancakes

    1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    ½ cup whole-wheat flour
    2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ or wheat bran
    1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    ½ teaspoon salt
    2 large eggs
    1 cup low-fat buttermilk
    1 cup fat-free milk
    ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
    1 can blueberries, drained
    Butter or oil for frying

Toppings

    Maple syrup
    Butter

1. In a large bowl, stir the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour,
    wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and
    salt until blended.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, milk and butter.
    Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, whisk until all
    the dry ingredients are just moistened.

3. Heat a 13-inch griddle or a frying pan over medium heat.
    For the best results, oil or butter the griddle lightly.

4. Drop ¼ cup measures of batter onto the griddle. When 3 or 4
    bubbles pop on the surface of the pancakes, turn and fry for
    a minute or more until pancakes are cooked.

5. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup or a
    topping of your choice.

    Topping 1: You can serve buttermilk pancakes in so many ways.
    Stir 1 can drained raspberries with 1 ½ cups boysenberry syrup
    and top pancakes with raspberries and whipped cream.

    Topping 2: For an apple topping, melt ¼ cup butter in a 3-quart
    saucepan. Then add 8 peeled and sliced Braeburn apples. Cook
    until the apples are soft, but still hold their shape. Sprinkle with
    1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 tablespoons almonds. Stir in
    2 cups pure maple syrup. Heat and serve over pancakes.

    Variation: To make pancake house style pancakes, substitute
     vegetable oil for the melted butter and use all-purpose flour
     in place of the whole- wheat flour. I find they taste delicious
     if you also double the sugar.

    Makes 15 pancakes  

Maple Syrup