Recipe Mon Mar 03 2008

Poppy and Sunflower Seed Pancakes

I'm a big fan of oats in pancakes. I often switch ground oats for half of the flour. I took this to a whole new level this weekend by switching the oats for a multigrain mix of rolled whole rye, barley, oats and wheat, and cooking the pancake batter in a cast iron pan wet with peanut oil. I also tossed in poppy and sunflower seeds for a nice hearty crunch, inspired by Heidi Swanson. The pancakes turned out nice and toasty, I presume from the rye and barley, but not fluffy, perhaps also due to these hearty grains.

Here's the recipe, altered from my long time favorite base pancake recipe, which I posted last April. Peanut oil lends a deep, earthy fragrance, but feel free to substitute. I frequently like to use what I have on hand. When I ran out of poppy seeds, I moved instead to cashew pieces for something crunchy.

I used Country Choice organic multi grain hot cereal for this recipe. If you can find whole rolled grains in bulk, you might enjoy mixing your own. You can also use rolled oats - old fashioned instead of quick oats for a fuller, hearty taste.

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled grains, finely ground in a coffee grinder (whole, not quick)
2 tablespoons sugar
1+1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk (more or less)
Peanut oil
Maple syrup for serving

Whisk all dry ingredients together until well combined. Use enough peanut oil to make your pan look wet, but not runny, and heat on medium until you smell peanuts, and a test bit of batter sizzles. Stir soy milk into the flour mixture, using just enough to loosen the batter into a thick and uniform mixture that's ever so slightly runny. Let the batter sit for a moment to swell, and then spoon 1/4 of the batter onto the hot pan. Cook until bubbly on top and golden on the bottom, and then flip and cook the other side until golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Makes about 4 medium pancakes

- Chris Brunn