Buttermilk Pancakes

Mmm MMM! I love pancakes :) My Dad always made pancakes growing up in old cast iron skillets. He always had the skillet seasoned just right and had the oil heated perfectly. He always made the most delicious bacon, but more on that in a second. I have made pancakes over the years for myself, and always went with the box mix. Quick and easy. That's what my Dad used, after all. BC never really liked pancakes, and that always made me a little sad.

I was therefore determined to figure out an easy, delicious, homemade recipe to bring him to my side! And here it is:

 (finished product)

(one of those giant non-stick griddles is a must-have!!)

Buttermilk Pancakes
(as adapted from Or So She Says)

1 C. all-purpose flour (again, used White Lily for the fluffier pancakes. If using this brand, please add 2 Tb. for every cup of flour used)
2 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 Tb. melted salted butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients together first. Mix all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry slowly, whisking as you go. When it is all just combined, stop mixing. Don't over-mix! Heat up your griddle to medium heat. Take a butter stick and run it all around the griddle. When the butter starts to get all melty and shiny, start dropping pancake batter onto the griddle, in whatever size you want. The most important thing is to wait to flip them until bubbles start forming on the batter. Essentially, you want them to cook almost all the way through on one side before you flip. So wait for lots of bubbles. I always peek underneath with a spatula to make sure they aren't burning. If they are getting too brown and not many bubbles have popped up, turn down the heat!! You need a nice browning to bubbling ratio.

Once they are done, you should add some real cream butter to the top and only use real maple syrup. I'm convinced it is the ONLY way to eat pancakes :)

As for the bacon....well, the secret is to cook it in a cast-iron skillet and pull it out just before its finished., It will continue to sizzle a bit once out of the pan. You want that just-crispy-enough taste!

Enjoy!