Just Singin' the BLUEberries!!

SkinnyBitch again!  As promised, I am devoting a fair amount of my culinary energy over the next few posts to the incorporation of blueberries into your day-to-day kitchen adventures!  I adore these little cobalt spheres – summer in a sweet little orb; PERFECTION.

So here’s another endeavor to whet the appetite and motivate you to jump in the kitchen (and to get some more blueberry into your life)!

SkinnyBitch’s Blueberry-Almond Pancakes

Ingredients –

Compound Butter

2 sticks butter, softened

1/4 c pancake syrup

2 T honey

Plastic wrap

A good activity in the morning to get your muscles warmed up for the day!  In a mixing bowl, use a spatula or the back of a spoon to mash the butter to a creamy oblivion with the maple syrup and honey until well incorporated. Roll it up in the plastic wrap (like a jelly roll) and twist up the ends. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  This is a good time to mix up and make the pancake portion!

Pancake Batter

2 c buttermilk

3 eggs

1t vanilla

1t cinnamon

1t nutmeg

2 c all-purpose flour

1 1/2t baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2t salt

4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 to 1 1/2c fresh blueberries (depending on your taste for all that is blue)

1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.   In a large bowl whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla together; in a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and stir with a spoon to get rid of the lumps. Fold in the blueberries, almonds and the melted butter and whisk a bit more until your batter is velvety-smooth. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium low heat and swirl around a little MORE butter to keep the pancakes from sticking (all the butter is in the name of the maintinence of a "non-stick surface" .. or because this SkinnyBitch could eat a stick of butter at every meal <eye roll>).  

Now, dollop in about 1/2c of batter into the pre-heated pan; when small bubbles appear on the uncooked surface, flip the pancakes and cook until golden on both sides, about 6- 8 minutes. Transfer pancakes to a warming plate in the oven while you make the rest (*this makes it so that the whole family can eat together – I hate when everyone has to eat in shifts while this SkinnyBitch is slaving over a hot skillet!)!

As much as I’d like to tell you to enjoy these as part of your MORNING routine, pleeeeease enjoy these any time of day!  I find these are fantastic as a dinner substitute with scrambled eggs and some crispy bacon or sausage!!

All for now!

Until then ..

XOXO