Leah's (Wholesome) Pancakes

I think it's only fitting that our first recipe should be a pancake recipe; and although this isn't the same recipe that Mom made for us as little girls, this has become a good one for me.  Mom used to make them into "turtles," which is why I still make "turtle pancakes" for my daughter.

I could eat pancakes every morning for the rest of my life and be perfectly content. I love pancakes so much – I usually spread natural peanut butter on them and drizzle a bit of syrup or honey, but you can eat these however you like.

This recipe has morphed into my own thing.  For several years I tested many different pancake recipes, never finding one that I thought was perfect.  I wanted: fluffy, tasty, wholesome.  The wholesome recipes usually ended up too dense or bland.  The tasty & fluffy ones had too much butter and sugar.  I tested and tried different ingredients & amounts to eventually come up with this one...

Perhaps you'll do some tweaking of your own ;-)  It is still a very versatile recipe.

~Leah

Ingredients:
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 to 4 teaspoons flax seed (ground or whole)
1 cup rice milk, or more for slightly thinner pancakes (I use rice milk because it makes the pancakes fluffier, but cow’s milk works fine as well. You may also use any other non-dairy milk to your preference.)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce or fat-free vanilla yogurt (may use canola oil or melted butter if you don’t have either of these on hand)
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey (or agave nectar, if you prefer)

Directions:
1) Mix the flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the flax seed and stir.
2) In a smaller bowl (or 2-cup measure), mix the milk, beaten egg, and vanilla. Stir gently.
3) Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour the wet ingredients into it.
4) Add the honey and applesauce (or yogurt or oil),
5) Stir until moistened and mixed. It may still be a little lumpy, but that’s okay. Let it sit in the bowl for just a few minutes, if you have time. In the meantime, heat a griddle at medium heat.
6) Pour your pancakes onto the griddle one at a time, and let them cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until a deep golden brown color. They should be thick (½”) and fluffy. 

I have one tip, which may seem like a no-brainer for you, but it took me the hard way to figure this out:  Cook the pancakes on a low-medium heat.  Do not make the griddle too hot or they will burn on the outside but still be uncooked on the inside.  I think this is a valid secret to perfect pancakes - lower heat.

Yields: 6-7 pancakes (4”diameter). If you have extras, they keep well in the refrigerator for about a week. Just store them in a resealable bag and pop them in the toaster when you’re ready.

Good luck!