Recipe of the Week: Better Than Bisquick Pancakes

I came up with the name for this recipe because I  used to love Bisquick pancake mix.  When I would prepare pancakes from scratch, they never tasted as good.  I used to buy the kind that you add oil and an egg to because I thought that was a little bit healthier, right?  Probably not.  Now that I found that I am allergic to soy and I gave up processed  food, I have created a yummy pancake recipe that tastes better than any pancake mix.  Maybe it tastes so much better because I know what is in them and there are no chemicals or toxins involved.  I make these maybe once a month because they are so rich.  So here is the recipe, my kids love them and you won't need much syrup because they are already sweet.  Instead of pouring maple syrup over them, we dip the pancakes in syrup so we use less syrup (real maple syrup is not cheap).



Better Than Bisquick Pancakes (not a low-fat meal)

2 cups all-purpose flour (use 1 cup organic whole wheat flour to add fiber)
2 Tablespoons sugar (I use Fair Trade raw cane sugar)
2 teaspoons baking powder (Rumford brand states on the label that the corn starch is non-gmo)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 dashes sea salt
2 ½ cups organic buttermilk (it's the buttermilk that makes these taste so good)
2 organic eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted organic butter
1 tablespoon flax meal (optional, for added fiber)
Cooking oil (almond oil or organic canola oil work well)
Real Maple syrup (avoid the chemical laden pancake syrups, they are awful)

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix together.  Set aside.
In another bowl, mix buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
Melt butter in the microwave, 30 seconds.  Stir to melt it.
Pour wet ingredients into dry.  Mix until combined, do not over mix.  Add melted butter and mix together, lightly.  Heat a skillet or griddle, brush lightly with oil.  Once the pan is hot, using a large spoon, scoop batter into pan and let one side brown lightly.  Using a spatula, carefully turn pancake over and lightly brown the other side.  Once cooked, place on a plate in a warm oven to keep the pancakes warm while they all cook.
Serve with maple syrup or fresh fruit and whipped cream*(good for dessert).
Makes enough 4-inch pancakes for 6 people, about 24 pancakes.  You can ½ the recipe for 12 pancakes.  Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated in a skillet or on a griddle.
Variation:
Add 1 cup blueberries to batter, serve by itself, no syrup.
Add 1 cup chocolate chips, to batter, serve by itself, no syrup.
Sift confectioners sugar over pancakes, with fresh berries or bananas.
Use whatever combination that you like.
*For whipped cream:  1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, whip with a wire whisk or with a mixer until light a fluffy.