This is definitely the time of year when a dob of yogurt just doesn't cut it for breakfast! No, something more substantial is needed, something with stick-to-your-ribs goodness...enter Lumberjack Pancakes! They are everything you want for breakfast and more...and they'll provide enough protein to keep you from getting hungry even after you've been outside raking leaves for hours on end! Man, that's real work! In fact, it's more than real work, it's exercise work...you know, when you're working so hard you use muscles you've never used before and you sweat buckets and gasp for air and your face begins to turn the color of a pomegranate - just the kind of thing I hate! And speaking of hate...I hate that our local hardware store left town!!! When my rake broke in half from all of my strenuous maneuvers, I cursed them and the city for letting them leave! I thought about driving off the Plateau to get a new rake, but it's j u s t s o d a n g f a r !! I might as well drive to Canada to Rona!
While I was recuperating from my exercise work, I made myself a leaf garland...pretty, no? The only good autumn leaves are the ones ON the trees or in a garland! Feel free to quote me on that!
Okay, let's talk pancakes, shall we? These pancakes aren't little, light or fluffy...they are dense, with a very slight chew...think hearty, think Paul Bunyan, think plaid and flannel and warm and fuzzy...because that's what these are. Now think buttery and brown sugar and maple syrup...okay, quit thinking and get to making, you're going to love these as much as we do!
Lumberjack Pancakes cook up just like your garden-variety-version of pancakes, cook on a griddle until bubbles form around the edges, then flip and cook until golden brown. Feel free to add blueberries or toss in some raisins, which is what we like. This recipe makes about one dozen 4-inch pancakes; if you don't eat them all in one sitting (shame on you!) you can freeze the rest.
These will soothe the savage beast - or make your leaf-raking nothing more than a bad memory.
Lumberjack Pancakes - Pots and Pins
3 cups oats (raw, old-fashioned)
2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1/3 cup butter, melted (plus a bit more for greasing griddle)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Optional: 1/4 cup dried fruit, raisins, currants, cranberries, blueberries (fresh blueberries are also great, too.)
Maple syrup for serving - warmed, of course.
In a large bowl combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla and whisk together until smooth. Pour liquid mixture into dry mixture, stir with a wooden spoon just until combined.
Heat griddle over medium to medium-high heat and lightly butter. Pour 1/4 cup pancake batter onto hot griddle and cook until small bubbles appear around the edges and on top, about 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Makes one dozen 4-inch pancakes. Freeze leftovers between sheets of waxed paper for up to one month; reheat in microwave or toaster. Serve with warmed maple syrup.
