Multi Grain Pancakes

Pancakes are my favorite breakfast food.  I love thick buttermilk pancakes, blueberry pancakes, crepes, my granny's thin pancakes and now these multi-grain pancakes!  They are everything pancakes are so supposed to be - soft, sweet, filling, and wholesome except these are hearty without being too grainy or to heavy with whole wheat.  These fill the craving for pancakes with the added benefit of being nutritious.  

Multi Grain Pancakes

makes 16-18 medium size pancakes

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 cups whole milk

1 cup no-sugar-added muesli 

1 ¼ cups  all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour (2¾ ounces)

2 tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark)

2¼ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon table salt

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons canola oil or melted and cooled butter

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk lemon juice and milk together in medium bowl or 4-cup measuring cup; set aside to thicken while preparing other ingredients.

Process 1¼ cups muesli in food processor until finely ground, 2 to 2½ minutes; transfer to large bowl. 

Add flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl whisk eggs, melted butter, and vanilla into milk until combined. 

Pour in milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined (few streaks of flour and lumps should remain). 

Do not over mix. 

Allow batter to sit while pan heats.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat  (I use a square skillet). 

Add 1 teaspoon oil and brush to coat skillet bottom evenly. 

Pour ¼ cup batter onto 3 spots in skillet, using bottom of ladle to spread batter smooth if necessary. 

Cook pancakes until small bubbles begin to appear evenly over surface, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on second side, 1½ to 2 minutes longer. 

Repeat with remaining batter, brushing surface of pan lightly with oil between batches and adjusting heat as necessary.

Crepes

I absolutely adore crepes. I love their elegant simplicity combined with their comfort food goodness.  My love goes even deeper and more personal back to when I stood at my grandmother's elbow as she made "thin pancakes."  When my grandparents would come and visit my family as we lived across the country, it was a treat that I looked upon with excitement.  With my grandparents came all their old world mysteries of stories, food and accents, and the special attention only a grandparent can give.  My grandparents were children of immigrants that came through Ellis Island.  Standing beside her on a stool I watched with fascination as she would put a teaspoon of Crisco into a saute pan, after it melted she would pour in the batter swirling it the pan to spread the batter. I loved watching the edges of the pancake bubble up forming lacy edges as they fried up.  I don't remember if she sprinkled powdered sugar on her pancakes like I have seen in some of my friends' family traditions. We topped ours with syrup and of course lots of butter. Now I prefer a quick fruit syrup made in the microwave or in small sauce pan .  I don't use my grandmother's recipe any longer but I have included it in her honor.

Granny's Thin Pancake Recipe
2 cups flour
2 cups milk
4 eggs
dash of salt

Mix ingredients together until smooth with no lumps.

Crepes
makes 20-25 medium size crepes
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla optional
1 tablespoon sugar

Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder ingredients in large bowl.
Add to the same bowl the milk, eggs, oil, vanilla if using.
Whisk the ingredients together (I use the whisk attachement on my hand mixer or you can use a blender).
Let the ingredients stand for 15 minutes.
Generously oil sautepan and pour thin layer of batter in pan swirling batter to make thin circle.
Using a thin edged spatula lift edge of crepe and turn cooking a few minutes on each side.  Cook until desired browness is achieved.  I always try to stay on the extreme light side.

Crepes

When we were in San Diego, I wanted to try this place in La Jolla called Bibby's Creperie. We went and it was closed so I made crepes, which I make fairly regularly. I suppose mine are more of a Hungarian or Swedish pancake. My grandmother made them for us and her mother immigrated from Prague. Granny would cook hers with Crisco. I remember standing next her and between every pancake she would plop maybe a spoonful of Crisco and each pancake would sizzle and fry. I loved those things. I remember my mother rolling up the pancakes and putting them on my plate and cutting them across then down each pancake. I do this for my children and my children love these pancakes. Here's to you Granny in heaven above.