Buttermilk Pancakes with Strawberries

Frequently when I read my blog archives, I’m in shock at what isn’t there. For instance, you might not figure out from the recipes here that I would eat plain pasta (as in, plain with butter and cheese) for every meal if that was remotely socially acceptable. You almost might miss, unless you read closely, that Scheidt and I are breakfast fanatics.

While I’ll almost always choose an eggy dish, Scheidt loves a big stack of pancakes. Unfortunately for him, my carb-loving metabolism will blow right through a pancake breakfast, leaving me grumpy and hungry before 10. On top of that, I tend to find most pancakes (except Pamela’s, of course) too heavy and dense to make for good breakfast eating.

Every once in a while, however, I have a reason to crave a starchy breakfast, and today’s reason was found at Farmers @ Firehouse: the first local, organic strawberries of the season. At $7 a quart, I wanted these berries to be in the spotlight of a meal, and on top of breakfast seemed to be exactly the right place. I had a feeling Stephen would jump at a request for pancakes, seeing as my eggomania only subsides about one every six months. And I was right.

While pancake lovers seems get the choice of “light and fluffy” or “dense and chewy,” Stephen wants his pancakes to be both light and chewy. His mom’s buttermilk pancake recipe, which he has learned to make himself, provides the goods. They puff just slightly in the center, maintaining both a decent toothsome bite and a meltaway texture. I think the topping of tart strawberries – in lieu of or paired with maple syrup, your choice – pairs brilliantly with these sweet, buttermilk-tangy hotcakes, which are strong enough to stand up to a little juice without turning to mush.

Rita’s Buttermilk Pancakes with Strawberries
The Scheidt family recipe piracy continues…

1 quart strawberries, sliced or quartered
2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar (to taste)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Plus butter and additional vegetable oil for the pan

Combine the strawberries and powdered sugar to tase, gently mixing with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat the egg until fluffy. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, whisking until the batter is smooth and uniform.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees and put an oven-safe plate inside. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until a water dripped on the surface bounces around. Melt a small pat of butter and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil for each batch of pancakes. Ladle in 3 or 4 small pancakes, enough so that each spreads to just 4-6 inches in diameter. Cook on the first side until the edges are golden, the center is slightly puffed, and bubble-holes don’t close up after the bubbles pop, then flip and cook until the second side is just golden. Transfer cooked pancakes to the plate in the oven, and add additional butter and vegetable oil to the pan for each batch. Keep going until you’ve used up the batter.

Top with strawberries and maple syrup, if desired. We didn’t need butter at the table, but hey, it’s a free country.

Makes about 10 small pancakes.

Tagged as: buttermilk, pancake, spring, strawberry