Wednesday Morning: Pancakes

Pancakes are tricky. They shouldn't be, really, but they are for me. I made a recipe for quite a few years that I derived from a family cookbook. Then one day after a number of complaints from the kids, I also became dissatisfied and switched to a Betty Crocker recipe. A couple of years later, I made another switch. Interestingly, the current recipe has the same ingredients as the BC one, but the method is very different. One thing I've learned about quick breads is that methods are very important and most of them you should only stir until blended. They become tough if they are stirred more than needed. Right now, this is our current favorite.

One note, this recipe has you add vinegar to the milk to 'sour' it. This is just a substitute for buttermilk. I use it almost exclusively when a recipe calls for buttermilk. It is cheaper and that way you can make only what you need so it doesn't go bad in your fridge.

I also make my own syrup. For how easily I get sick of certain foods, maple syrup (and homemade Ranch dressing) are ones I never deviate from. While there are many, many kinds of syrup out there, I only like Maple--and homemade. It's fast and easy:

1 part water

2 parts sugar

Boil together until sugar is dissolved.

Maple flavoring to taste.