Short Stack o' Heaven

 This was our breakfast spread the day after the Ultimate Toga Party. to the bottom left of the pic you can see the most talked about component --my homemade pancakes.

I hadn't even attempted pancakes in years until one day this spring when we decided we'd have pancakes on a Sunday.  I had a couple of days lead time and that turned out to be a good thing.  I used our friend the 'Google machine' and did some research that it seems has made all the difference from my prior mostly mediocre tries at making them.

Everyone wants the recipe. Funny thing is it is right there on the box of Bisquick.....

For 14 pancakes using slightly less than 1/4 cup of batter per pancake-------

2 cups Original Bisquick mix

1 cup milk

2 eggs

plus ingredients for 'Supreme' --- adding  2 TB sugar, 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla

 That was the starting point but I modified it based on what I found in my research....

2 cups original Bisquick--spoon into dry measuring cup and level off

1 cup + full fat buttermilk

2 eggs--I used fresh free range eggs from the Lexington Farmer's Market

2 Tb sugar

2 heaping tsps baking powder--it is important to make them 'heaping'

1 tsp vanilla

How you put it together is the next important tip.

Add Bisquick to a large mixing bowl then add sugar and baking powder and blend well (I use a whisk).  Form a 'well' by pushing the dry mix up the sides.

Break the eggs and beat slightly,add vanilla and add one cup of the buttermilk  and blend well.  

Pour the wet ingredients into the 'well' of the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.  Do not worry about small lumps.

Set your bowl of batter on the counter for about 30 minutes giving the leavening ingredients a chance to work.  You will see it rise up in the bowl.

It is important to have your pan at the right temperature --about 350 degrees seems to work best.  Heat your pan and when drops of water 'skitter' across before evaporating that's about right.   I did my first few batches in my trusty chef's pan but found that was difficult to keep at the right temp on my cooktop.  

I'd had my eye on an indoor griller for a while and my desire to get the pancakes just right spurred me to buy one--the Cuisinart Griddler.  I love it!

It opens up flat so you can use both sides as a griddle and it's plenty big enough for enough pancakes at once that you can easily keep an eye on.

Even though the surface is non stick I swipe a little vegetable oil across to get the right texture on the surface of the pancakes.

When your griddle is hot check your batter--it should have risen up.  Scoop  out portions---you might want to add just a little buttermilk if it is too thick.

Drop a little less that a quarter cup of batter onto the griddle and cook until bubbles start to rise and the edges look 'dry' then flip and cook until golden on the other side.

Serve hot with butter and your favorite syrup and or jam.

These pancakes keep very well---although we normally don't have leftovers*smile*