The Perfect, Classic Buttermilk Pancake

Though I love baking, it wasn't until just last week that I realized buttermilk's significance; it really is an ingredient all bakers should have in their refrigerators at all times. The smell isn't exactly pleasant, but I can't imagine a tasty pancake recipe without it! I made a few batches of buttermilk biscuits last week (I still haven't "perfected" a healthy version of this typically butter-ridden, starchy morsel-this is why they aren't on the blog yet) and I loved the flavor and texture it gave the biscuits.

For a few months now, I've been making pancakes from scratch. I was happy with the recipe I came up with, but I knew there was something missing. I know many pancake recipes call for buttermilk, but I thought I could get away with not using it. To be honest, I was afraid that I'd buy a small container of it and have a lot left over, but that was before I realized that buttermilk really is a wonderful dairy product. Despite the stinky whiff I get in the mornings when I open up the small carton containing this curdled, yogurt-like substance, it really gets me jumping out of bed and running to the kitchen to prepare a batch of classic buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. Using buttermilk instead of regular milk gives the pancake a lighter, fluffier texture; if you choose to use milk instead, you'll find that the pancakes will be heavier. Personally, I'm a fan of the fluffy pancake, that's why I switched to buttermilk...and I will stop this dairy product advertisement now :).

I found this recipe on Key Ingredient, and though I don't know the name of the lovely gal who posted this recipe on her profile, I will give her credit by including it below...you need to try this recipe! In my opinion, pancakes are the perfect midnight snack...so you don't have to wait until breakfast to eat them!:

soft and Light Cinnamon Banana Pancakes (Homemade)

I've made pancakes before, but I wasn't 100% pleased with how they came out the time before this. The taste was right on target, but the texture wasn't pancakey enough for me, probably because I used oil instead of butter. So with a little experimentation, I finally came up with a recipe that I am 99% pleased with, because there's always room for improvements...but Jose said he couldn't think of anything about these pancakes that needed changing. I am definitely open to suggestions, though.

These pancakes are very tender and soft, not tough and thick at all, and they have a very mild banana flavor; I didn't want to overload them with a heavy banana taste so I only added 1 small, slightly over-ripe banana (a little brown on the outside). I also put in a tiny bit of cinnamon and sugar, and sprinkled the pancakes with those two ingredients as well--what pancakes don't taste good with cinnamon and sugar? Anyway, here's the recipe. No need for instant pancake mix in a box anymore, these are so fast and easy to make...and they won't leave you feeling like you just consumed a couple of bricks after eating them :).

1 Cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 TBSP salt-free butter
1 slightly over-ripe, mashed banana

These ingredients can be whipped up in one bowl and cooked over a low-medium flame. The recipe yields 10 small-medium sized pancakes. Unlike most pancakes that require maple syrup to taste good, these pancakes taste better with just a few sprinkles of cinnamon and sugar, along with a small amount of butter. And if you don't like bananas, they still taste good without them, or you can even add blueberries or extra spices (like 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice would work well with this recipe).