A RIFF ON EDNA MAE'S SOUR CREAM PANCAKES

Blueberry S Cream Pancakes; Photo by The Professor

It’s cold.  It’s snowy.  It’s blustery.  I may look like Winnie-the-Pooh, but I certainly don’t have his temperament.  I’m grumpy.  We’ve had ONE day of sunshine so far the entire month of January.  BLEH.  But my mood changes on a dime when I make these luscious pancakes filled with tangy sour cream, a hint of lemon and blueberries (here comes the sun, do-do-do-dooo, here comes the sun . . . )

I’ve made other sour cream pancake recipes before and they were good but the batter was thin which made the pancake too delicate and a bit airy for my taste.  These are my favorite by far.  A substantial, yet tender, pillowy and moist pancake, they hold all that maple syrup goodness without falling apart.   The edges caramelize ever so slightly giving them a buttery crunch and great texture. And those berries, those beautiful little berries, burst in your mouth doing a little happy dance.  It’s all about finding that balance and these pancakes deliver!

I used frozen wild blueberries that I thawed and drained, then placed them on the pancakes just before I flipped them; if you put the berries on too soon, the cakes tends to either scorch or won’t cook all the way through.  If you put the blueberries into the batter, it turns a blueish-purple that doesn’t look very appetizing.  And believe me, when fresh blueberries are in season this summer, those little orbs of deep purple will top these pancakes – mmmmm . . . my mouth waters just thinking about it!  Of course, you can make them without the blueberries and add fresh strawberries or peaches on top; you can also top them with chunked cinnamon apples or applesauce – whatever tweaks your argyles.  The Professor says these are WAY better than a box!  (he means what’s inside that box . . . )

Photo by The Professor

Ree says she gets approximately 12 4-inch pancakes but I get about 8 5-inch pancakes – you make ’em any size you want.

Now if I crank up my fireplace full bore, turn on every single light in the house and if I squint real hard . . . I can almost imagine sandy beaches and flip flops . . . do-do-do-dooooo . . . everybody sing!

Photo by Smith Bites
Photo by Smith Bites
Photo by Smith Bites

One final bonus?  These little gems come together in about 15 minutes so you can enjoy them any day of the week – winter or summer!

A RIFF ON EDNA MAE’S SOUR CREAM PANCAKES
Adapted from Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond

1 cup sour cream (I’ve used a mix of light sour cream and Greek-style non-fat yogurt too)
7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1/2 Lemon
Blueberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, thaw and drain) – as many as you like
Butter
Maple syrup

Place an iron skillet or griddle over medium heat; it should be hot but not smoking.

Dump flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a bowl – whisk around with a fork just to mix all the dry ingredients; add sour cream and lemon zest and stir together gently.  Don’t mix completely as you really want the pancakes to have a bit of texture – you’re not looking for a smooth batter here.  Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl; add the vanilla and stir to combine.

Pour the egg mixture into the sour cream/flour mixture.   Again, stir together gently; it’s not necessary that the mixture be totally combined.

Melt about a Tablespoon of butter on your griddle or skillet. Pour the batter onto your griddle 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, add blueberries just as tiny bubbles begin to appear,  then flip the pancakes over. Cook for another 45 seconds and remove to a warm plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Top with plenty of butter and maple syrup and eat as much as your tummy will hold or your butt will allow!

4 Comments

  1. Pingback: Week 5: Sour Cream Pancakes « That Girl Gretchen

  2. ladies – you will not be disappointed!

  3. I was almost sold on these when I saw the variation on Smitten, but it took those blueberries to really make me crave these. Maybe this weekend…!

  4. And we are actually planning on having blueberry pancakes tonight! Now I have to decide if I’m going to make a trip back to the grocery store to buy sour cream and a lemon?!?!

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