Buckwheat Pancakes

I love pancakes.  In some ways, I love them more than waffles because they're easier to make--and to change.  The experimental pancake recipes I've attempted have always turned out better than the waffle-flops.  But pancakes are really tasty, and they're pretty versatile, too.  I can make a whole batch on the weekend, T and I will eat about a quarter of it, and then we'll bag 'em and freeze 'em for the rest of the week.  Instant toaster-breakfast! I like that.

Pancakes were always somewhat of a treat for us, growing up.  Momma would use the Jiffy pancake mix, so they'd be very quick, but it was always a treat because pancakes are much more of a sit-down breakfast type of food, rather than a hurried-rush-before-driving-the-kids-to-school food, a situation for which cold cereal is more fitting :)

As Viv and I grew up, my family started the tradition of Saturday morning breakfasts.  I have some fabulous memories of those!  We'd wake up when we wanted to (Momma was usually up by then anyway, though) and we'd all have a nice sit-down breakfast together, talk about our week, what we intended to do that day (ah, and even the best of intentions often ended in after-breakfast afternoon naps) :) and general pleasant conversation.  I think it was my parents' way of getting to know their "babies" more as young adults than, well, their babies.  Pancakes were a common item on the table those mornings--a huge, heaping stack of white-golden fluffy cakes, ready to be spread with sweet-salty butter and drizzled-just-right with real maple syrup (when we were kids, we liked the "real fake stuff" but our taste buds have since evolved).

My favorite of late have been buckwheat pancakes.  It's a simple recipe, and makes a good number of pancakes.  They're great with syrup or jelly or even peanut butter, and, on cold days, they go very well with a nice steaming cup of tea :)





Buckwheat Pancakes

Sift together:
2 c buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp sugar (optional. You can also substitute 2 T molasses, which you would add to the liquid ingredients)

Add and stir till just combined:
3 c buttermilk (or any milk substitute)
2 T melted shortening