Tutorial Tuesday: Homemade Pancake Mix

Tutorial Tuesday

Tutorial Tuesday's design is to visually share money saving food preparation techniques along with easy and inexpensive recipes. This week I am happy to share how to make home made pancakes... from scratch!

We normally keep a box of Bisquick on hand, but every once in a while my family has a pancake hankering after we have finished the last box on our shelf! So just in time for Christmas, I decided to share a 'pantry staples' version of easy pancake making... along with some tips from my pancake flipping extraordinaire husband!

This mix is simply made from flour, milk, and egg, butter, sugar, salt and baking powder. These ingredients should already be in your cupboards!

First, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt and baking powder, mix well.

Next, in a separate bowl, beat the egg until it is bubbly!

Add the remaining wet ingredients with the frothy egg. (Milk and melted butter).

I add my secret weapon of pure vanilla extract! My husband brings me Haitian vanilla when he returns from his Raincathers trips! Haitian vanilla is POTENT! Yum!

Combine the wet and the dry ingredients, and this is what your batter will look like!

I need to mention a few key pancake pointers before I continue:

1. I am NOT the lead pancake maker in our home. I'm the lead dish washer!!! Dave is much more skilled than I am, but I LOVE you guys... so I persevered and 'pancaked it up' for your benefit!!!

2. Whether you make your pancakes on a griddle (like me) or in a pan, make sure that your surface is HOT!!! (300*- 350* if you are using a griddle). I accidentally unplugged my griddle without realizing it... so it wasn't super hot (again, this is why I'm the lead dish washer...). You can test the heat of the surface by splashing a little bit of water on the surface- and if it quickly 'dances' and goes up in steam... you're set to begin dropping batter onto the surface!

3. If your batter doesn't form perfectly round circles (like when your heat has been GREATLY reduced... or turned off), you can use the back of a spoon to help evenly spread out your batter!

4. Patience is a virtue.

Soon after dropping, your batter will begin to puff!

You will know when your pancakes are ready to be flipped on three accounts: 1. your batter will begin to bubble (let the bubbles pop!) and 2. your pancakes will stop steaming- you'll recognize this when you see it, and 3. the edges and eventually the surface of your pancake will begin to lose its shiny batter look.

Duh- lish!

This recipe makes between 8 & 12 good sized pancakes, and this recipe could easily be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled!

This, by far, is my favorite way to eat any pancake!!! I call this a pancake taco!!! No butter or syrup necessary (great for even the messiest family members!)!

Recipe Recap:

1 cup of flour

1 egg

3/4 cup of milk

2 tablespoons of melted butter

1 tablespoon of sugar

3 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

*1 teaspoon of vanilla*