Breakfast Adventures #3 – Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

I never really enjoyed pancakes as a child. They were always too heavy, too sweet, and too cliché for my tastes. But somehow, after moving an ocean away from a decent pancake, I began to pine after a fluffy stack of buttermilk goodness.

Unfortunately for me, in Ireland “pancake” means “crepe” (or something embarrassingly similar) and though I searched for an American pancake mix, the only result was a 9 Euro box of Aunt Jemimah. I decided to go in search of my own recipe…

Interestingly, homemade pancakes are just about as easy to make as store-bought pancake mixes. I came up with this surprisingly light and fluffy batter. The first few bites hit the spot but, as I have found in my youth, I wasn’t able to finish a stack. Oh well, maybe next time. Still, for those pancake fans who CAN finish a stack, I highly recommend this recipe.

I used chocolate chips because I was feeling nostalgic, but the recipe can be adjusted with berries, nuts, or just left plain!

Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes
(Altered from The Cookworks on foodnetwork.com)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
21/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, plus some for frying
1/2 cup chocolate chips
whipped cream and maple syrup

In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter. Combine the dry and the wet ingredients into a lumpy batter, being careful not to over mix. Fold in chocolate chips.

Heat some butter in a skillet over medium heat. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and maple syrup.

Enjoy!