A Pancake Type of Morning

I made these pancakes this morning for the first time and both Ken and I agreed that these are the best pancakes we’ve ever tasted. The only variations I made were instead of ½ c. all-purpose flour, I used ½ c. whole wheat flour (to make it heartier) and my fruit of choice for inside of the pancakes was a combination of frozen wild Alaskan blueberries and cranberries.

I'll include some of my photos. *Please make note that the oatmeal must soak overnight, so prepare for these tasty pancakes one day ahead. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

OATMEAL BLUEBERRY PANCAKES
Adapted from a recipe found on “Orangette” and posted on fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife

2 cups rolled oats
2 cups buttermilk, real or faux* (see note)
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 T granulated sugar
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. table salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 T unsalted butter, browned and cooled slightly
6 ounces blueberries, fresh or frozen (unthawed)
Oil for greasing the pan
Maple syrup, for serving

Other variations:
Banana slices + freshly grated nutmeg
Raisins + dash of cinnamon
Pieces of cooked apple + cinnamon
Fresh or frozen (unthawed) raspberries or blackberries

*I use this as a stand in for buttermilk all the time and it works great. Put 2 T white or cider vinegar, or 2 T lemon juice in a 2-cup glass measuring cup, add enough milk (whole or 2% work best) to make 2 cups and ¼ tsp salt. Stir to combine and let sit 5 minutes.

The night before: Combine the oats and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Stir to mix. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Take the bowl of buttermilk and oats out of the fridge. Set aside. In a shallow pan over medium-low heat, brown the butter. Remove from heat and pour into shallow bowl to speed cooling. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Add the eggs and browned butter to the oat mixture, and stir well. Add the flour mixture, and stir to blend. The batter will be very thick.

Warm a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, and brush lightly with oil. To make sure it’s hot enough, wet your fingers under the tap and sprinkle a few droplets of water onto the pan. If they sizzle, it’s ready. Scoop the batter, about ¼ cup at a time, onto the pan, taking care not to crowd them, and carefully arrange a few berries or other add-in as desired, gently pushing the fruit down so it not poking out too far when you flip the pancakes. When the underside is nicely browned and the top looks set around the edges, flip the pancakes. Cook until the second side has browned.

Re-grease the skillet, and repeat with more batter. If you find that the pancakes are browning too quickly, reduce heat.

Serve hot, with maple syrup.
Yield: About 15, 4-inch pancakes