Buttermilk pancakes...

A surprise visit from my parents for afternoon tea meant only one thing: a batch of pancakes! You can make the batter in a snap and be cooking them as you chat - then serve them up piping hot with maple syrup, jam, fruit or whatever takes your fancy or have on hand.

On this particular day it was blackcurrant jam and some leftover cream. My mother prefers maple syrup but was very happy with this jam [a French jam from Burgundy - from Pennisi deli] and didn't seem to mind too much that we'd run out.

I also didn't have any buttermilk and made a substitute that I often use: put approx. 1/4 cup natural yogurt into a 2 cup measure and add a little milk and mix to thin the yogurt; add a little more and then add the rest of the milk to make 2 cups of milk and yogurt mix. It works well.


Buttermilk pancakes [from a Donna Hay recipe]

2 cups plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup buttermilk
75g butter, melted

1. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, egg, milk, buttermilk and cooled melted butter in a bowl.
2. Whisk or beat [I use hand held electric beaters] until well combined.
3. Heat non-stick frying pan or cast iron griddle over medium heat - lightly grease.
4. Cook 1/4 cup of the mixture until bubbles rise to the surface and begin to pop [approx. a couple of minutes or so], then flip and cook for another couple of minutes until puffed and golden.
5. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Note: Of course you can make these any size that you desire. I use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter as it's quick and keeps the size uniform.

Batter can be made the day before.

The batter can be made entirely on buttermilk, if desired.