sunday morning pancakes.

Laying in bed this morning listening to Daniel mutter something about wanting bagels but not wanting to go get them, I think in my head that a nice carb-heavy breakfast sounds good to me, too. But – as I haven’t really cooked all weekend (minus an easy omelet yesterday, which I will post about soon as everyone should know how to make a perfect one) – I decide that pancakes are in order.

Off to Smitten Kitchen I go. I am freakishly obsessed with this AMAZING food blog (often one of the first places I go to make a recipe – I want to make pretty much *everything* she posts about). I am already thinking of these sour-cream pancakes I remember her writing about, but I don’t have any sour cream in the fridge so that’s out. I search for pancakes, and end up going with this post she did on buttermilk blueberry pancakes. (Bonus points: now I can get rid of that leftover buttermilk from last week’s cupcakes.)

Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Original Classics Cookbook

Yield: Depending on how big you make them, you could get anywhere from 9-16 pancakes.

2 cups all-purpose flour (if you want to go whole wheat, just replace 1 cup with whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or slightly less table salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk (I only had about 2 cups buttermilk, so I subbed regular milk for the rest)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon extra for brushing griddle (or you can use Pam)

1-2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen and thawed (optional – and I only used a cup, so I made half blueberry and half regular)

1. Preheat an electric griddle to 375°F, or place a griddle pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Lightly mix the eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons melted butter (you can just use the microwave), in a separate bowl. Now whisk the wet ingredients into the dry. You want small to medium lumps – this is the secret to a light and fluffy PERFECT pancake!

2. Test the griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If the water bounces and spatters, the griddle is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush a little butter onto the griddle, or Pam it up.

3. Using a 4-oz. ladle (about 1/2 cup for a 6-inch pancake, use a little less if you like them smaller), pour the batter in pools 2 inches apart – they do spread a bit as they cook, but if you overcrowd, no biggie – just separate them with your spatula before you flip). If you’re going blueberry, add them here, while the pancakes are already starting to cook. When the pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over (I like to make sure they’re nice and golden underneath). If any batter oozes or blueberries roll out, push them back under with your spatula. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.

4. Repeat with the remaining batter. You can keep the finished pancakes on a heat-proof plate in the oven at 175°F. Serve warm.

Because it’s more fun than bagels again.

{Especially when you’re *way* too far from New York, and Einstein’s is about as good as it gets}