real pancakes

As promised, I am following up on my “real food” article with more recipes to replace the processed foods we all rely on so often.

Everybody loves pancakes, but not everyone loves the work and mess involved in making them from scratch. So, here is an alternative to the ever-popular pancake mix in a box. Make the mix in advance, then use it whenever you need it.

Pancake Mix

• 10 cups flour
• 1/2 cup baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tsp. salt

Sift together all ingredients, mixing until thoroughly blended. Store in airtight container. This amount of mix will make approximately 80 pancakes.

To make 8-10 pancakes: Measure out 1 1/3 cup dry mix. Stir in 1 cup milk, 1 beaten egg, and 2 tbsp. vegetable oil, just until blended. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake over hot griddle. Flip when bubbly and slightly dry on the edges.

And how about a little syrup for those pancakes? This is a recipe that I’ve been making for years, just because it is so easy and it tastes so much better than the stuff from the store. Now, I don’t have a maple tree, and even if I did, I seriously doubt I’d be in the backyard with a tap when it is time to make syrup. I just use maple extract. Real maple extract is obviously preferable, but it is hard to find, so Mapleine works just fine. I saved one of those short microwaveable syrup containers to store mine in, and it works great. The syrup will keep for months in the refrigerator. 

Homemade Maple Syrup

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp. maple extract

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together sugar, water, and salt. Bring to a full boil, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 3 minutes.  (Covering the pan is very important - it helps to dissolve the sugar from the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization - thanks Alton Brown for the tip!) After the first 3 minutes, uncover, stir, and boil uncovered for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in extract. Makes 3 cups.

For those of you who are interested, here are the ingredient lists from popular brands of pancake mix and syrup, along with a few articles about the health risks associated with some of the ingredients.

pancake mix ingredients: enriched bleached flour, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, baking soda, aluminum phosphate, calcium phosphate, dextrose, salt

syrup ingredients: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, water, cellulose gum, caramel color, salt, sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, artificial and natural flavors, sodium hexametaphosphate

Partially hydrogenated oils-http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/transfats.html

High fructose corn syrup -http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588

Sodium benzoate - http://www.foodqualitynews.com/news/ng.asp?n=76895-sodium-benzoate-soft-drinks-health

Great article summarizing the chemicals you should avoid - http://www.businessweek.com/1996/19/b3474101.htm