Wednesday 16 May 2007

Buttermilk Pancakes & Bacon Cornmeal Softies


Buttermilk Pancakes

I have made many drop scones or Scots pancakes, but never their American cousins the bigger fluffy puffy breakfast fair. What have I been missing! The book that led me to the kitchen to make breakfast pancakes for my family is Dorie Greenspan’s Pancakes from Morning to Midnight. This book is out of print, but Amazon sellers and Ebay have them for sale sometimes. I got mine from US Ebay.

I made the buttermilk ones first and they were so good! I don’t know if any other pancake will ever match up to them (but I’m willing to experiment). They were so light, a little tangy and a little sweet. Great with maple syrup, butter, jam, anything that you might put on toast in the morning. The bacon cornmeal softies were good too, although a lot more filling, because of, well, the bacon and cornmeal! I tried them with maple syrup, but that wasn’t my thing. I tried them with tomato ketchup and that was good, then HP brown sauce and that was better!



Bacon Cornmeal Softies

Other recipes I have marked in this little treasure trove of pancakes are: basic pancakes, honey-bran pancakes with cheddar, honey-orange pancakes with orange butter, fresh peach pancakes with quick strawberry-peach sauce, banana-pecan pancakes with buttery bananas, Summertime blues with ten minute blueberry jam, apple walnut pancakes with spices apple-pear butter, light lemon pancakes with thick lemon curd, an apricot-ginger butter and last but by no means least – and how gorgeous does this sound? - oatmeal Raisin pancakes with cinnamon sour cream! I’m going to try them over the next few months, so you will probably be seeing more!

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 fl oz) buttermilk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, melted


In a medium bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl or jug mix the buttermilk, egg and butter. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and cook away!
Makes about 8 4 inch pancakes.

19 comments:

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Hi Kelly-Jane, These really do look soft, airy and fluffy. I think I am gonna make a stack myself!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Yum, I make american style ones using a Nigella recipe, we love them with maple syrup. Yours sound great! Small loves brown sauce & would have it on everything if we let him! It must be my northern roots.. :)

Freya said...

Pancakes are one of THE comfort foods and I love this recipe and all your variations!

Cheryl said...

I have never heard of softies. Wow, does that sound good.

I need some syrup now.

Gemma said...

These look great, I love pancakes - think I'll make some at the weekend.

Anonymous said...

Mmmm, pancakes. These look so good, and is any wonder with our beloved Dorie behind the recipe? Yum!

Ari (Baking and Books)

Patricia Scarpin said...

Wouldn't I love those beauties with some honey... They look so good, Kelly-Jane! Fluffy as pancakes can be!

Kathryn said...

I am not very good at pancakes - looking at your pic makes me wish I was. They look great.

Kelly-Jane said...

Meeta, Gemma, you should give it a go, it's a lovely recipe!

Amanda, I know the recipe you mean of Nigella's, but I haven't tried it yet.

Freya and Paul, Thank you!

Cheryl, I had never heard of softies either. Here a softie is a sort of soft hamburger bun!

Ari, you are right, the lovely Dorie has many spokes to her wheel :)

Patricia, I've not tried honey on pancakes - will now though!

Kathryn, once you get the heat under the pan regulated you'll be fine.

KJxx

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Isn't that just the best little book!! My favorite in the book is something called Blue Corn Chips. It's waffles made with blue corn meal, seasoned with Chipolte pepper powder made in a heart shaped waffle maker. When I want toast and have no bread it's perfect. Soon I'm going to use it to make a sandwich!!
Your pancakes are beautiful!!

Kajal@aapplemint said...

they look so inviting and yummy....this is something i just never end up making at home as my hubby is not fond of them...:(

Gattina Cheung said...

Kelly Jane, I agree with you, the bacon version best matches with HP sauce, yum! Really love seeing your big round fluffy pancakes, my mouth is watering now :)

Anna's kitchen table said...

KJ, everything looks amazing. sorry for not commenting on each individual post, but I'm having trouble keeping up with you, LOL.

Your tarte tatin looks absolutely 'to die for'!!

xx

vonsachsen said...

I haven´t tried American pancakes but these look so tempting. I´ve made Nigella´s ricotta pancakes once but I hope those doesn´t count as American pancakes as I wasn´t too fond of them...
I usually make some Aussie ones with buttermilk and rolled oates, now they are great! So I think I will try yours next for some variation.
xx

vonsachsen said...

OK, I´ve just made these for breakfast and they turned out wonderfully fluffy but not full of air, they were perfect! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
xx

Lis said...

Thank God it's Saturday. If I had read this on a work morning, I probably would have started sobbing. lol But I can make them today! Yay! I heart pancakes - waffles too. I love, love, love the cornmeal bacon softies too.. yum!

So.. I had to share this, I'm not sure it'd be your cup of tea or not.. but let me tell you - these were FANTASTIC. They are called Cornmeal "Ham"cakes with Pineapple Maple Syrup soooo good.. especially if you like the sweet/savory combo that I am and forever will be addicted to. hehe

I'm going to go make pancakes! Thanks sweetie!
xoxo

pistachio said...

I love drop scones and so I'm going to give these buttermilk pancakes a try, they look delicious. Thanks for posting the recipe.

pi xxx

Helene said...

All that syrup and softie goodness has made me hungry and it's 1am here...oh sweet dreams!

Kelly-Jane said...

Tanna, will have to go and look at the blue ones :)

Kate, that's a shame your hubby doensn'y like them.

Gattina, thank you!

Anna, thank you and LOL!

Eva, I really glad you liked them, Dorie recipe is so light and yummy.

Lis, LOL! and your ham cakes look delicious. I wondered about substituting the bacon for ham in the softies, and seeing yours it would have been lovely too.

Pistachio, they were really light and good, hope you like them.

Helen, hee hee! Sweet dreams :)