Buttermilk Pancakes (2)

I made a new pancake recipe this morning for the kids, and I really liked them. Their pancakes were heart-shaped in honor of Valentine's Day.



Buttermilk Pancakes

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted & cooled slightly
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour (I used 1 c. each all-purpose & whole wheat)
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp. table salt)
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk gently until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated; stop before the batter is evenly moistened.

2. Add the melted butter and mix just until the batter is evenly moistened (there will be small lumps still). Let the batter rest while you heat the griddle.

3. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat (or set electric griddle to 375º) until drops of water briefly dance on the surface before evaporating. Lightly oil the griddle.

4. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Let cook until bubbles rise to the surface & the edges look dry. Check the underside of the pancake to make sure it's nicely browned, then flip. Cook until the 2nd side is nicely browned, too.

*If desired, you can transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200º oven while you finish making the pancakes. Cooked pancakes will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator and up to 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave, or defrost overnight in the fridge, and reheat in a 350º oven for 5 minutes.

Why I love it? Well, my 6 year old just told me this as I was typing... "Thank you, I love these pancakes! They're my favorite type ever!" (as he was helping himself to pancake #3 and 4). They're healthy, delicious, and use ingredients I normally have on-hand.

Perfect Granola Bars

Granola bars are one of the things I hate buying at the store, because I know I can make them so much cheaper & yummier at home. I sometimes buy them still for convenience, but I love it when I can make them at home. This is my favorite granola bar recipe. (Originally found here)

(Update- for another equally delicious, yet different, granola bar- here is another one I love.)

Perfect Granola Bars

1/2 cup and 1/3 cup butter, softened (13 1/3 tbsp.)
1/2 cup honey (6 oz.)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar (2.7 oz.)
4 1/2 cups oats (15 oz.)
1 cup whole wheat flour (4 1/2 oz.), or all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup add-ins (i.e. chocolate chips, cranberries, etc.)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl (or stand mixer). Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325º for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack; gently press down on bars after baking to flatten (I use a small, flat cutting board to press down on them). Cut into 24 bars (4 by 6). Store in an airtight container.

*A variation done by a friend: "I made them last night with dried cranberries, slivered almonds, and drizzled the top with white chocolate." I can't wait to try them this way! Thanks for the idea, Sara!

Why I love it? Even though they probably have more calories than the Quaker ones (because of the real butter!), I love that I know exactly what goes in these granola bars. You don't want HFCS, preservatives, stuff like that? No problem. They taste delicious, and are a quick snack we all enjoy.

Tip: You might notice on my blog that I often give weights for the ingredients. That's because weighing is the primary way I measure my ingredients. Not only is it more accurate, but I find it easier! I just set the mixing bowl on my small kitchen scale, and add the ingredients that way. It's really helpful for things like honey. I don't have to worry about scraping honey out of a measuring cup, and it gives me less dishes to wash!

Maple Butterscotch Brownies

I first tried this recipe about 15 years ago. Each time I make them, I wonder why I don't make them more often! They use pretty basic ingredients (once you've bought the bottle of maple flavoring) & are quick to make.


Maple Butterscotch Brownies
Printable version here

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted (or a combination of both)
1 1/2 tsp. imitation maple flavoring
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts*

1. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and maple flavoring. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to egg mixture. Stir in walnuts. The batter will be thick at this point.

2. Spread into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until brownies test done/look set (mine take about 35 minutes). Cool. Cut into 16 squares. Enjoy!

*Walnuts- for best flavor, toast them first. Here is a page talking about how to do it. I toasted mine in a 350º oven on a baking stone for 10 minutes, stirred them, then baked 5 more minutes. Take them out & cool before chopping.

Ready to be spread out in the parchment-lined pan:


Ready to bake:


Baked, cooled, and ready to be cut into bars (I trimmed off the edges to make them look a little nicer):


Why I love it? Well, what first turned me on to this recipe was that it didn't have chocolate in it (years ago I went through a chocolate-free phase, and found this recipe). If you can't eat chocolate, or for some crazy reason don't want to :) this is a good brownie alternative. The maple smell & taste is amazing! They're soft, chewy, mmm... now mine just need to hurry up and cool so I can eat them! One thing they are not, however, is healthy... so eat sparingly. ;)

New Countertops!

I know this isn't a recipe, but it's exciting and it's related to my kitchen! :) Dave and I decided to redo our counters with this year's tax refund. Luckily we only have one 10-foot section of counters, because even that costs plenty! It's a Corian countertop (the color is called Tarragon) with an integrated sink. So the sink is molded as a part of the counter, using the same material.

Before:


After taking off the old counter:


DONE!! :)