Earlier this month I read in a magazine that National Pancake Day is February 24th and on that day you can go to IHOP and get a free short stack. Intrigued by this holiday, rather than the prospect of waiting in line for free sawdust cakes at IHOP, I Googled it and discovered that Pancake Day is always on Mardi Gras, which as all good Mormons know, is the last day to live it up before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, 40 days before Easter. Historically, this day, also known as Shrove Tuesday, was the last day to use up fat and eggs from the pantry before Lent, and pancakes are a great way to do that.
A few slightly sketchy sources also promised that this is actually National Pancake Week, from February 22-28. And hey, that's good enough for me. Pancake Week is a concept I can really get behind, and I know you can see where this is going. Every day this week on DMTotW you will find a new awesome, yummy, easy recipe for everyone's favorite breakfast. All of which I've tried. All of which are really, REALLY good.
I've become so accustomed to just using Trader Joe's mix that I'd forgotten how easy it is to make pancakes from scratch. Not only that, but trying this week's recipes really opened my eyes to some fabulous and delicious variations that are just as easy. Just to let you know, we'll be sticking to the traditional, rather than broad, sense of the word pancake here. The weekend breakfast sense of the word: batter cooked on hot greased griddle, topped with something sweet. Can't you just smell them now?
So without further ado, let's start the week off with a delicious buttermilk-banana bang:
Buttermilk-Banana Pancakes
with Pomegranate Syrup
from Cooking Light, November 2005
Pancakes:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 (1-ounce) package uncooked instant farina (like Cream of Wheat)
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 T canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup mashed banana (about 1 large)
Syrup:
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 T pomegranate juice
2 tsp cornstarch
Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through farina) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Fold in banana.
Spoon 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto hot greased or nonstick griddle. Turn when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.
To prepare syrup, combine 1/2 cup juice and syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Combine 2 T juice and cornstarch in a bowl; add to pan. Cook 1 minute or until thickened; remove from heat. Serve with pancakes.
Makes 6 servings (3 pancakes and 2 T syrup each)
Cal 315, Fat 4g, Chol 37mg, Prot 5.7g, Fiber 1.4g
7 comments:
I thought pancake day was just a British holiday, I guess not. There are lots of places that serve pancakes here on that day. Although their pancakes are really much more like crepes - but hey, I love those too. We did pancakes this morning. They are by far E's favorite breakfast food, he begs for them every morning.
i'm looking forward to pancake week on your blog. shrove tuesday is really big here...
You're killing me with these recipes Kari. I'm pretty sure I've got an extra five pounds on me that rest squarely on your blog's shoulders. In other words: Yum!
Shells and Therese - Cool, I want to hear more about what happens on Tuesday in your neck of the woods.
Shells - try a couple of these and let me know which ones E (and the rest of you) like.
Katy - 5 lbs, PAH! You think reading my blog is bad, try BEING ME! How do you think I got to this point of having to lose so much weight? Btw, pancakes for dinner are a great way to make vegetarians and non both happy.
I would like more pancakes, please. I read the Pancake Race link about the celebrations in Kansas and the UK but I didn't get what they actually do in the race? Run with pan and pancake? Clue me in.
Mom - from the Olney (UK) town council website:
"The Olney Pancake Race, dating back more than five hundred years, is held on Shrove Tuesday. The course is 415 yards long and is run from the Market Place to the Church at 11.55 a.m. Participants, housewives or young ladies of the town, must have lived in Olney for at least 3 months and be at least 18 years old. Competitors must wear the traditional costume of a housewife, including a skirt, apron and head covering. They must of course carry a frying pan containing a pancake. The winner, on crossing the line, must toss her pancake and she is then greeted by the verger with the traditional kiss of peace. The race is immediately followed by a Shriving service in the Parish Church when the official Olney and Liberal prizes are presented.
2008's Pancake Race was won by Amanda Brear in 69 seconds."
I assume the Kansas one is similar. I think more towns should take up this tradition.
I've been SO excited for pancake week...tuning into your blog this week is going to be extra fun! Thanks for all your work coming up with super yummy recipes! I can't wait to try them!
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