Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Maybe pancakes aren't a baked good, but in the midst of the snowiest winter the District has witnessed since 1898, I'm inclined to believe that almost anything with flour (rapidly depleting as we head into the seventh day of snowy annihilation) counts as a baked good. Hamburger buns? Yes. Pizza crust? Close enough. Pancakes? Sure thing! And if you're still not feelin' it, well, these pancakes get you to exercise the single most important baking preparation skill of all time, which is whipping eggs, a skill my father showed me when I was a wee thing who wanted to eat belgian waffles for every breakfast.  My mom taught me to cook, but I have to give heaps of credit to my pops too since the alchemy of egg-whipping is what attracted me to manipulating food through baking. 

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart's The Original Classics

If you don't have buttermilk or don't have three cups worth, just make your own by mixing one tablespoon of distilled white vinegar with one cup of milk (for every one cup of buttermilk) and setting it aside for ten minutes to curdle.  Also, if you don't feel like whipping your egg whites, just beat the eggs together and whisk them in all at once.  The results will still be tasty!

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
Whites from two large eggs, beaten until soft peaks have formed
3 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 extra tablespoon melted for brushing the pan between pancakes
About one cup fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries, or one to two thinly sliced bananas, or a half-cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit, this is for keeping the pancakes warm while you continue cooking them.

2.  Place cast iron or regular frying pan on medium heat.  Whisk all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the buttermilk, lightly beaten egg yolks, and melted butter, and whisk just until combined.  You want batter that's pretty lumpy, so don't over mix.

3.  In a clean, glass measuring cup or bowl, beat egg whites on medium until foamy, about one minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about two minutes more, or until soft peaks have formed.  You'll know that you have soft peaks when you turn your mixer off, remove it from the egg whites, and the little peaks left from the beater marks maintain their shape, but curl over on top.  Using a rubber spatula, plop egg whites on to batter, and gently fold in (do not stir!) until egg whites are distributed.  Batter should still be lumpy.

4.  Test the heat of your pan by sprinkling some water droplets on it.  If the sizzle and shake, you're good to go.  Brush the pan with a thin layer of butter, and pour out your pancake batter using a half-cup measurer.  In an amount to your liking, add your blueberries to the pancakes' up-sides.  Let cook until golden brown, from two to three minutes, then flip and let cook for a minute more.  Using an oven-safe plate, slide your pancakes into the oven to keep warm.

5.  Repeat with remaining batter, and serve warm with toppings of your choice.  We went with powdered sugar and agave nectar, but last time did bananas, pecans, and maple syrup.  Enjoy!