Tot in the Kitchen: Pancakes

We are definitely a breakfast family. We love going out for it, making it, and eating it. The first meal I ever made for Mishke was French Toast (my SIL has me way beat on French toast though and swears it is how she will woo her future spouse.) And I make a pretty mean omelette, because when I spent the summer in Paris my roommate was really homesick for her boyfriend who used to make omelettes all the time, so I had to step up to the plate.

However - I can't make a pancake to save my life. Mix or from scratch, my creations have a place in the NHL. So I didn't have high hopes for anything un-puck-like when I decided to make pancakes with Bean this weekend. The post with the recipe I used raved about how light the pancakes were but I was still skeptical.

Things turned from bad to worse when I realized not only did I not have the cake flour the recipe called for, but I was almost out of All Purpose. So the pancakes had to be mostly wholewheat. I love wholewheat flour, but it's kind of the kiss of death when it comes to airy baked goods.

But I've got to tell you. These somehow came out vaguely fluffy; and I would be willing to bet that, made with cake flour, they would be about as perfect as the name suggests.

I'm a believer . . .

Perfect Pancakes (Source: originally from The Pioneer Woman Cooks, found through Mommy's Kitchen)
-3 cups + 2 tbsp Cake Flour (NOT wholewheat, but if you happen to have to substitute you won't screw it up as epically as you think you might)
-½ tsp Salt
-3 tbsp Baking Powder
-2 tbsp Sugar
-2 cups Milk
-2 eggs
-3 tbsp vanilla (or more if you're heavy handed like me
-1/2 stick of butter

-Find willing toddler
-Have them mix together dry ingredients in large bowl (Bean gleefully yells "dump!" every time we measure something in.)
-Mix milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
-Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring very gently until just combined
-Take bowl away to chagrine of toddler
-Melt butter and add it to the batter, stirring gently to combine.
-Cook on a greased skillet on medium-low until golden brown, adding whatever fun things you like in your pancakes (we did my favorite - bananas and chocolate chips)
-Devour