Every good thing in life starts with a homemade pancake.

Alright maybe I should say instead every good morning starts with a homemade pancake (I am trying to slow down on my sweeping statements in 2010). Yes. That sounds more like it. Or maybe every good morning is made better with a homemade pancake. Well, whatever! You can tell I’m a little rusty with my ramblings … bare with me, I’ve been on holiday and I’m sure some of you may relate to that fact that it’s always a bit bumpy coming back.

At any rate, I love pancakes a whole lot. I spent most of 2009 perfecting my recipe. I sort of think every at-home chef or baker needs to have their own pancake recipe and I was determined to find mine. MAV’s Pancakes. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

Batch after batch I worked through many failures. Even the batch I made for my own birthday was downright weak. It was just too heavy! I suppose in that case it was already a good morning because it was my birthday and the average pancakes couldn’t spoil it so in the end I should have started this dispatch with … Every good morning is made better by a homemade pancake. A-ha!

All of these photographs are pancake plates from Spring ’09 when I was still experimenting. It was at this breakfast when I remember really starting to hone in on what I wanted. These pancakes are so great with greek yogurt!

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So it’s time to talk about the recipe. You will find that these whole grain rustic pancakes are hearty, savory and adaptable.

Hearty: I don’t like to eat heaps of pancakes. I usually have just one or two. I like the pancake to take the place of toast on my plate so this recipe is perfect for that style of pancake-eating. If you’re a stacker or you like to keep-em-coming hot off the griddle then don’t bother with this recipe. They will just be too filling for you.

Savory: I prefer a savory pancake where I can let the warmed maple syrup be the sweetener. I see no point in adding sugar to the pancake batter, no point at all. Maple syrup and pancakes are like Fred & Ginger. Let the pair shine!

Adaptable: I like to have a recipe where I can swap in many different fruits based on the season (in Autumn I like to slice a whole apple very thin and gently lay it into the center of the pancake once on the griddle; in Spring I’ll shave thin slices of banana into the batter; in Winter I go for my frozen blueberries from Summer; in Summer I do whatever the hell I want because Summer kicks it all sorts of ways thanks to the Farmer’s Market).

And so without further goings-on, my recipe:

MAV’s Pancakes
makes 5–6 thick six inch round pancakes

1 C whole spelt flour
1/2 C whole oats, ground in the food processor for 10 seconds
2-1/2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 C milk
2 T unsweetened applesauce
1 t vanilla
1 egg
2 T melted butter

Sift together dry ingredients very well. In a separate small bowl (with a pouring spout if you have one) beat milk, applesauce, vanilla and egg until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry and give a few good stirs. Add melted butter and mix quickly until just combined. Let batter sit for a couple minutes before starting to scoop (note: this is a thick batter) onto the hot well-buttered griddle. While the batter is sitting you can start to warm your maple syrup and have a sip of coffee.

Note: If you’re adding something into the batter such as banana or blueberry (unfrozen) fold that in just before all ingredients are combined and still let the batter sit for a couple minutes. You can also sprinkle the fruit into the pancake after it is scooped onto the griddle (which is what I described above when talking about an apple slice and what you see in the first photograph).

Now … onto working on those homemade donuts!

—MAV