Pancakes

There are times when we all could use a break from our perception of what's normal for meals. Dinner for breakfast? Sure! Pie for breakfast? Why not? Pancakes for dinner? Of course!

I've always considered pancakes to be a comfort food, and the way things have been lately, we all could use some comfort food. To that end, here are five pancake recipes, including Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, and one syrup recipe (Blueberry Syrup). Enjoy!

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM PANCAKES

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

2 cups buttermilk biscuit baking mix

1 cup milk

2 eggs

2 cups strawberries, sliced

1 can pressurized whipped cream

Directions

Stir baking mix, milk and eggs until blended. Pour by scant 1/4 cupsful onto hot griddle. Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden. Spoon strawberries over pancakes. Decorate with whipped cream.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES WITH HOT CIDER SYRUP

This also comes from the long-since-forgotten emailing list, though I suspect it's from a diabetic emailing list that I was on for a while.

Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup canned pumpkin, mashed

4 egg yolks

4 ounces melted butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, coriander, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, butter and vanilla extract. Pour combined liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Carefully fold in egg whites. Cook pancakes on a light oiled griddle.

Hot Cider Syrup

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups apple cider

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup corn syrup

2 ounces butter

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Grated rind from 1 lemon

2 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine apple cider, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon rind. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add apples. Heat for several minutes more. Serve over pancakes.

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 5 1/2 Fat; 4 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Per serving: 786 Calories (kcal); 29g Total Fat; (32% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 124g Carbohydrate; 212mg Cholesterol; 977mg Sodium

PACKSADDLE PANCAKES

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 16 to 18 (4-inch) pancakes.

Ingredients

2 cups sifted flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 package yeast

1/4 cup warm water

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Directions

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Soften yeast in warm water. Mix eggs, oil, buttermilk and yeast. Stir well. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Batter will be thick. Cover lightly and keep in refrigerator overnight.

Bake at slightly lower temperature than usual pancakes. This batter will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator, and it may be thinned with milk. Batter needs headroom as it rises, so use a generous storage container.

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES

And yet another pancake recipe from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon

Directions

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting In a bowl, combine flour, nutmeg, sugar and baking powder.

In another bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, milk, juice and rind; mix with the dry ingredients. Pour approximately 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, oiled griddle and cook pancake until golden, flipping once.

Dust with confectioners' sugar.

BLUEBERRY SYRUP

Of course, you can't have pancakes without syrup of some sort. This syrup recipe, also from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, takes care of that.

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 pint (2 cups) blueberries plus an extra 1/4-1/2 cup

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbs. cornstarch

1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions

Bring water to a boil in saucepan. Add blueberries and return to a boil. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a bowl, then add to blueberry mixture, stirring constantly. Simmer until thick. Add the extra blueberries to the syrup and lemon juice. Serve.

VEGAN OATMEAL PANCAKES

This comes from page 68 of the September 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “As the first person out of bed in her house on Saturday mornings, Mary Shore savors the time to ease into the weekend. “We try to keep cooking simple so the relaxed mood lasts through the morning,” she says. These winning pancakes came out of her desire to develop a vegan version of her favorite restaurant pancakes: 'My mom taught me to substitute a little vinegar in milk when there was no buttermilk in the house, and the cider vinegar in soymilk here has the same effect of lending a little zing.'” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.

The recipe can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

3/4cup Silk Original Soymilk

2 tsp. Bragg Unfiltered Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbs. Now Real Food Maple Syrup, plus more for drizzling, optional

2 tsp. canola oil, plus more for oiling pan

1/2 cup Now Real Food Rolled Oats

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Combine soymilk, vinegar, maple syrup, and oil in small bowl. Add oats, and let soak 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. Stir soymilk mixture into flour mixture.

Preheat large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat (400°F), and lightly coat with oil. Ladle 1/4 cup batter into pan for each pancake. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles form on top and sides are a little dry. Flip, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, or until browned on both sides. Drizzle with maple syrup, if using.

nutritional information Per Serving (2 pancakes): Calories: 196; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 30 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 280 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan