Make-Ahead Pancakes

I've had good intentions for a long time to make a big batch of pancakes on the weekend, freeze them and have them for breakfast in the coming week. It always seems like such a good idea during the week but our weekends are always packed full of other stuff that needs to be done, so making a large batch of pancakes doesn't ever seem like a priority. I finally carved out a chunk of time this past weekend and did it! I wanted to find a recipe that was hearty and healthy but tasty to and I found this Grain and Nut Whole Wheat Pancake recipe that got some good reviews. I changed a couple things, wasn't sure the family would go for me using totally whole wheat flour so I used half white and half whole wheat. Also, I didn't have any buttermilk so I used the old trick of a bit of vinegar mixed in with regular skim milk. And lastly, I used applesauce in place of the oil then lowered the sugar a bit since the applesauce was sweetened. And you better believe I added the optional nuts! These pancakes turned out so good! And they froze so nicely, layered with wax paper in between. They separated with no problem and warmed up yummy, not gummy or rubbery.

And instead of syrup, we've been topping them with strawberry sauce. For some reason, we had an overabundance of strawberries this week so I made this easy sauce. I used about 1 pound of strawberries, a half a cup of water and a half a cup of sugar. Cooked till bubbly and mushy then blended it when cooled. De.lish.us. (makes a good ice cream topping too)



Having these ready every morning this week has been so nice. I warmed them up while the kids got ready and served them with a turkey sausage link and a glass of milk. I think it makes a rather well-rounded breakfast with some carbs, whole grain, some protein, dairy and a little bit of fruit to boot. This isn't the most exciting picture but I'll share it anyway. They looked and tasted about 100 times better than they appear in this photo.



The recipe made 12 large pancakes and that was enough to last us till today (Thursday), so we will be having a cold cereal Friday morning at our house. But, hey, it's Friday so I won't let anyone complain!

Here's the recipe how I made it (and with a new name ;))

Nutty Wheat & Oat Pancakes
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I used 1.5 T of vinegar combined with enough milk to make 1.5 cups)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Grind the oats in a blender or food processor until fine. In a large bowl, combine ground oats, flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, combine milks, applesauce, egg, and sugar with a whisk until smooth. Mix wet ingredients into dry with a few swift strokes. Stir in nuts.

Lightly oil a skillet or griddle, and preheat it to medium heat. Ladle the batter onto the hot skillet; cook the pancakes for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until brown.