Granola-Yogurt Pancakes

From Lou Seibert Pappas's Pancakes & Waffles, page 20.

I know, I know . . . another pancake recipe.  I just am in a pancake phase right now.  These pancakes claimed to have a crunch from the granola, but mine did not.  Perhaps it was the type of granola I used.  (Or it may have been how long my three-year old was mixing the batter while I fed his little brother some breakfast--multitasking fail.)  Even so, I loved them!  They were deliciously chewy and filling.  I topped mine with granola, fresh fruit, and (you guessed it) Buttermilk Syrup.

1 1/2 cups granola
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola or nut oil

In a bowl, combine the granola, flours, sugar (if using), baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  In another bowl, beat or whisk together the yogurt, eggs, and oil.  Add the yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and grease lightly.  For each pancake, spoon or pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the hot griddle.  Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges look dry, about 2 minutes.  Turn over and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute more.

Notes:
- I accidentally left out the brown sugar and was happy I did because I think my pancakes would have turned out too sweet otherwise.  Use your own judgment and add as much or as little of the brown sugar as you want, depending on the sweetness of your granola.
- I used French Vanilla Almond granola to make these, but the possibilities are as plentiful as the types of granola you can find (I can't wait to try this recipe with the Gingersnap, Cherry Vanilla, and Pumpkin varieties of granola in the bulk bins at our Smith's!)
- This batter was somewhat thick, so I tried to spread it out a little after pouring it into the skillet.  I wasn't keeping close track of the time, but I think it took longer than the recipe says.

Four-Grain Fitness Pancakes

From Lou Seibert Pappas's Pancakes & Waffles, page 18.

I was really excited to try these pancakes, and they did not disappoint!  They were hearty with a hint of spice from the cardamom.  The texture was great, and so was the flavor.  Pappas recommends topping them with plain yogurt and fresh fruit, but I just couldn't resist that delicious Buttermilk Syrup from my sister's blog.  At least I used the fruit, though.

Yield: About fourteen 4" pancakes.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup rye or oat flour
1/2 cup barley or buckwheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbs. honey or maple syrup

Notes:
- For the life of me, I couldn't find rye flour, so I used oat flour.  (You can make oat flour by processing oats in a food processor.)  After all, Pappas suggests, "Vary these healthful pancakes with the grains at hand."  She also recommends tossing in toasted sesame seeds or toasted chopped nuts.
- Look for buckwheat flour in the bulk bin section of your grocery store.
- Look for the wheat germ in the cereal aisle.

Oatmeal Pancakes (Coach's Oats)

Adapted from the back of the package for Coach's Oats.

Yield: about 15 pancakes.

These slightly chewy, heart-healthy pancakes are a great way to eat oatmeal and offer a nice change from the traditional boxed-mix pancakes.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup Coach's Oats
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
1 cup water

In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  In another bowl combine eggs, vanilla, milk, and water.  Add liquid to dry ingredients.  Stir mixture until well blended.

Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto a hot, lightly greased griddle.  Cook both sides until golden brown.

Notes:
- Coach's Oats are 100% whole grain steel-cut oats, and they are delicious.  Buy yourself a huge bag at Costco and be happy.  My son loves them so much that the sample guy at Costco gave him two helpings; we were sold and took one of the bags off of the display table.  Anyway, you could probably make these with rolled oats, too, but I haven't tried it.
- The recipe says it makes 16-18 pancakes, but my batch made 15.
- The original recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but I've started using whole wheat instead.
- You can make these into waffles by adding more liquid--about 1/4 cup each of water and milk if you make the full batch.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Yield: six 4-5" pancakes.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sugar
1 egg
2 Tbs. oil
1 scant cup milk

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.

Mix together egg, oil, and milk in a small bowl; add to dry ingredients.  Stir until blended.

Cook in 1/4 cup amounts in a skillet over medium heat.

Notes:
- A "scant cup" is just barely under a cup.  If you don't like your pancakes quite so thick, add more milk. I tend to use probably 1 1/4 cups.
- The recipes calls for cooking these over medium-high heat, but whenever I've tried that, I've ended up overcooking the outside while the middle is left gooey.  Not good for pancakes.  You may want to experiment with the heat you cook these over.  Also know that the first pancake will look totally different from all the rest--it won't get as dark.
- This recipe is from a food storage cookbook that I don't know the name of.