The Art of Pancake Making

I never realized pancake making was an art, until I asked my husband to do it. Watching him made me think back to when I first learned how. (I'm not saying he's bad at it, he just ain't me, okay?) Making pancakes really is a skill you have to perfect over time. I remember struggling to flip them without making a mess and I had quite a few batches that weren't quite "golden brown," but over the years I've come to be pretty darn good at it! I'm not bragging or anything. Well maybe I am. :) There's nothing like homemade buttermilk pancakes. 

Mmm, mmm.

 Every time I make them I think about quotes like these from
The Long Winter:

"But the back room, where he and Almanzo 

were batching, was warm and cozy and

 Almanzo was frying pancakes.

 Royal had to agree that not even mother 

could beat Almanzo at making pancakes."

 "He was making pancakes, not because 

Royal could boss him any more,

 but because Royal could not make good pancakes

 and Almanzo loved light, fluffy, buckwheat 

pancakes with plenty of molasses."

"Almanzo and Royal were eating supper. Almanzo had stacked the pancakes with brown sugar and he had made plenty of them. Royal had eaten halfway down his stack, Almanzo was nearing the bottom of his, and one tall stack of two dozen pancakes, dripping melted brown sugar, was standing untouched when Pa knocked at the door."

The moral of the story is that Royal and Almanzo eat a lot of pancakes. Actually its a great read if you have the time, but getting back to the point of the post, when I'm flipping pancakes it makes me feel connected to the past somehow. I guess because it's such a classic dish that every one and their mama has grown up around. I have wonderful memories of waking up to the sound of my grandma frying pancakes (and bacon, but that's another story for another day). It's a very nostalgic dish is what I'm getting at here with all of my rambling. Anyway, I'm going to share two recipes that I've shared before on the blog, but just in case you missed them, here they are in all their deliciousness:

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 1 tbsp vinegar)

3 tbsp butter, melted

Whisk dry ingredients. 

In separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients.

Stir together until just combined. The batter will be lumpy.

Fry and enjoy!

Amish Cinnamon Sauce

1 c. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 (scant) tbsp flour

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 c. boiling water

4 tbsp butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1. Boil 2 cups water

2. In separate saucepan, mix first three ingredients

3. Set over medium heat and slowly stir in water

4. Cook 3-4 min. or until clear (mine never really got clear)

5. Remove from heat and add in brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon

6. Let cool down and enjoy!!

So, if you have some free time, get into the kitchen and get to frying!~

P.S. the Amish sauce is sooooo good. You won't regret making it.

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