Lemon Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've decided to make these unusual pancakes for breakfast on Easter morning. They are thinner than traditional hotcakes but thicker than crepes, so it's hard to fit them into either category. Because they are a bit too thick to fold, I've decided to call them pancakes, at least for this post. The lemon zest in the batter gives these breakfast cakes a unique and delicious flavor that makes them perfect for a special holiday meal. When I have fresh blueberries, I serve them with a homemade blueberry syrup that is not as sweet as the commercial variety. Mid-winter or early spring, I top them with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a dusting of confectioners' sugar. The batter for these pancakes is thin and can result in oddly shaped amoeba-like cakes if the griddle on which they cook is not hot enough to quickly set them. I also let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten before I begin to cook the pancakes. I really like this recipe and the only thing that prevents me from giving it my highest - socks go up and down - rating, is the fact that not everyone is enchanted with the flavor of lemon. If you are a lemon head try these as soon as you can. You'll love them. Here is how they are made.

Child's Play - Peanut Butter Pancakes or Waffles with Honey Butter

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'll wager you didn't know that I have super powers. I can see some of you recoiling at the thought of peanut butter pancakes or waffles. I hope you'll man-up and give them a try despite your initial hesitation. The original recipe came from the Land O' Lakes collection, and this, like all the recipes they publish, has been carefully tested and makes delicious fail-proof pancakes and waffles. The recipe is simple enough for the kids to make by themselves, but they may need some supervision the first time they attempt them. It's important to incorporate the peanut butter into the other liquid ingredients, and that is most easily done by softening the peanut butter, which can be smooth or chunky, in a microwave until it can be easily stirred or melts into the other ingredients. Once that's mastered, they can be left on their own. I'm including the honey butter that was included in the original recipe, but there are other options. My gang happen to be peanut butter purists, so, rather than honey butter or maple syrup, they drizzle melted grape jelly over their pancakes, which they call PBAJP's. Now, I realize this is not a recipe for the masses, but if you are a mom or grandmother with young children who enjoy working in the kitchen, I hope you let them give this recipe a try. If they like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, they love the pancakes and have fun making them. Here is how they are made.

Shrove Tuesday Pancakes with Chocolate Chips and Cinnamon Cream

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, precedes the first day of Lent. It's called Shrove Tuesday because centuries ago it was custom for confessions to be heard on that day and those who were absolved were said to be shrove or shriven of sin. In more secular countries, particularly those that are English speaking, it is also known as Pancake Day. The tradition of serving pancakes on the eve of Lent is centuries old and it came about because there was a need to consume rich and restricted ingredients such as sugar, fat, flour and eggs before the 40 day Lenten fast began. Pancakes were an easy way to do that. While fast requirements are considerably easier these days, it is still fun to observe the pancake ritual. This year I found an old Paula Dean recipe to use as my feature for the day. I know you'll love these, but I must admit I think you'll find them more dessert than breakfast-like. No matter! They are delicious, easy to make and good enough that you might want to use a heart mold and serve them on Valentine's Day, unless, of course, you have given up sugar, fat, flour and eggs. Then you are on your own. Here is how these pancakes, and the delicious cinnamon cream that accompanies them are made.

Flipping Out - My Recipe Rotation - Cinnamon Raisin Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the most recent addition to my permanent recipe rotation. I love these pancakes and serve them often when my family visits. The Silver Fox and I have also been known to enjoy them when we're having breakfast for dinner. The batter, even with the addition of raisins, makes light and moist pancakes that are a bit out of the ordinary. However, it's the warm cinnamon syrup that makes this combo a truly dynamic duo. Strangely enough, the pancakes and syrup are easy to make. I found the recipe for them on the Food Fanatic site and I've found the recipes there to be flawless. I have, however, changed the order of execution when I prepare the recipe, and make sure I have the syrup ready to go before I mix and grill the pancakes. It makes for a stressless finale. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. The pancakes are filling and delicious and the syrup would please even ambrosia dependent gods. Here is how the combination is made.

Cinnamon Raisin Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love these pancakes and serve them often when my family visits. The Silver Fox and I have also been known to enjoy them when we're having breakfast for dinner. The batter, even with the addition of raisins, makes light and moist pancakes that are a bit out of the ordinary. However, it's the warm cinnamon syrup that makes this combo a truly dynamic duo. Strangely enough, the pancakes and syrup are easy to make. I found the recipe for them on the Food Fanatic site and I've found the recipes there to be flawless. I have, however, changed the order of execution when I prepare the recipe, and make sure I have the syrup ready to go before I mix and grill the pancakes. It makes for a stressless finale. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. The pancakes are filling and delicious and the syrup would please even ambrosia dependent gods. Here is how the combination is made.

Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...About five days into a family visit, my refrigerator starts to look overstuffed and leftovers in small portions develop an attitude as they claim real estate needed by other things. I have dabs of gravy, mounds of rice and, best of all, mashed potatoes that are ready to erupt as those from Sunday meet those from Tuesday and have no where to go. Fortunately, the younger members of the family are better with leftovers than their parents, who I am ashamed to say I raised. When it comes to leftovers, I've found that breakfast is the best time to use them. To that end, we've had fried rice and sausage with gravy and, of course, pancakes made with those ever growing mounds of potatoes. Tonight's feature is neither a glamorous or gourmet offering, but it is a fine way to use up pesky potatoes and the kids can help prepare them. There are no tricks to making these pancakes, but I have one hint that I want to share with you. Make sure the downside has crusted before you attempt to turn them. They will fall apart if you rush this step. The kids who eat eggs like to have them on top of the pancakes and while the original recipe calls for sour cream, I serve them with  applesauce for the anti-egg crew. If you end up with a quantity of leftover potatoes, you might want to give this recipe a try. Here is how the pancakes are made.

Multigrain Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite..."These aren't half bad." That's not me speaking. It's the Silver Fox who gets shaky whenever the words meatless or wholegrain are mentioned and nears panic state when both are used in the same sentence. I knew he was a carnivore when I married him, but I still feel compelled to try and bring him along. To that end, we had these pancakes for breakfast this morning and while he thought they were a bit heavy, he loved their flavor. I count that as a point for the home team. If you are looking for a healthy version of breakfast pancakes, you might want to give this recipe a try. It comes from Midwest Living magazine and I think you'll find it is only marginally more involved than your standard breakfast variety. The recipe is straight forward and quite easy to follow. If you are curious, here's how they are made. Remember, "they aren't half bad."

Apple Pecan Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you are looking for something simple to serve on Christmas morning, you might want to consider these pancakes. They lack the eye appeal needed for a company breakfast, but if you'd like to treat your family to something that is out of the ordinary, you might want to give these delicious pancakes a try. They are simple to make and the recipe, which, by the way, can be cut in half, is straight forward and easy to follow. I have, however, encountered one small problem with the batter as it cooks. It contains a lot of sugar and that, coupled with the shredded apples, means the pancakes can burn or char easily. I suggest you use an electric griddle or keep the heat under the skillet you use for stovetop cooking at a moderate level to prevent that from happening. Despite their raggedy appearance, the pancakes are delicious and I know your family will enjoy them. Here is how they are made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Big Batch Buttermilk Pancake Mix

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I wish I could tell you that tonight's recipe was developed for a school or church breakfast, but, truth be told, I use one of those huge, just add water, mixes when I'm responsible for a pancake breakfast of that size. However, tucked between breakfast for 2 and breakfast for 200, is family territory, and a tradition that demands that pancakes be made from scratch. Saturday pancakes were a breakfast feature when my children were young, and as soon as they could safely balance on their chairs, they "made" our weekend pancakes. It began as an exercise in measurement, but it grew into much more, and to this day, I swear their love of food and considerable talents in the kitchen where honed when they were two and three years old. The holidays will soon be here, and that means there will again be extra bodies in the house and at the table. Large batch recipes, such as this one for pancakes, come in really handy at this time of year. Pancakes are a great way to feed and fill the breakfast brunch and they cost pennies to make. Tonight's recipe is an adaption of one that first appeared in Better Homes and Garden magazine. Using the quantities suggested below, you can count on 20 to 24 5-inch pancakes per batch, and should you need more, the recipe can again be doubled. I've included some suggestions for fruits and berries that can be added to the batter if you want to dress the pancakes up. With or without fruit, the pancakes are fast and easy to make and they make a great inexpensive addition to your breakfast table. Here is how they are made.