Easy Home made pancakes with toppings

Making pancakes from scratch can be as easy as a packaged mix. With a few pantry items you can create a creamier, fluffier, scrumptious and more personalized dish. Using your own ingredients can boost vitamin content with minimal effort. With many healthy additions pancakes can be a meal all by themselves or you can go all out and serve with breakfast meats like bacon, sausage, fried ham, turkey bacon and or scrambled eggs.

Cooking temperature get it just right

Heat your skillet to 375C or medium high. When it is hot enough a drop of water will bead up and bounce around on the surface, if it sizzles away in a puff of steam you know you skillet or pan is too hot.

The batter

Start off with two cups of flour, mix in two heaping teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt. Make sure this is all blended well before you add your wet ingredients. Add two cups of milk, to cut calories and trips to the grocery store I used reconstituted powdered skim milk in most of my baking, but whole, skim, soya or butter milk would be a fine addition. Substitute some of the two cups with yoghurt or sour cream for added flavor and protein. If you find atter too thick just add a bit more milk.

You will also require two slightly beaten large eggs; eggs add creaminess to the pancakes as well as increased proteins. To lighten it up you may remove one or both of the yolks.

Now you can add two tablespoons or less of an oil product like canola, vegetable or my favorite melted butter.

Vanilla can be added as well to brighten up the flavor or mashed banana. Gently stir these ingredients together making a smooth batter. Pour by the quarter cupful on to your heated skillet.

To add extra vitamin content and fiber try dropping a few berries onto the pancakes at this time, Adding berries at this stage prevents discoloring of the batter and allows you to neatly place an even amount of berries in each pancake. To add calories, milk chocolate chips are also a wonderful addition at this stage in the cooking process.

You will know when its time to turn the pancakes over when the cakes are bubbling and the popped bubbles at the edge stay slightly opened rather than closing up after bursting. This will only take a few short minutes so keep a close eye on your pancakes as you grill them. They should be a beautiful golden yellow brown.

The Topping

You might just go for the maple flavored syrup but here is where you can really shine in your delicious breakfast meal. A bit of sugar cinnamon and grated apples makes lovely apple syrup. Stewed assorted berries with a bit of honey add vitamins and fiber. An easy alternative is defrosted raspberry or strawberries frozen in syrup that you can buy at most grocery stores all topped with whipping cream or cool whip for those extra calories (for those who need them) . Jams and jellies are also a convenient way to get your berry fix. Last but not least just some sliced fruit with Real maple syrup is a wonderful addition. Real maple syrup has many hidden vitamins and health properties and is delicious with fresh fruit and hot pancakes

Summary

At first if may seem like alot of work but after a few times its as easy as some mixs and you can make the sauces ahead of time to save time or just purchase some nice jams and syrups from any grocery store. Enjoy the greatness that is homemade pancakes.