Homemade Bisquick!

I LOVE pancakes. I mean really love pancakes. As in this would be my last meal if I ever had to choose such a thing. I eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts - practically anytime I can in some way rationalize eating them (I have yet to come across a time when I couldn't). My mom used to make them for us for both dinner and breakfast and I think this is where my infatuation began. She makes the best pancakes I've ever had. I think that might be due to the fact that they were made by her more than anything, but they are still the best.

In all my pancake making though, I have only every made them one way -- with Bisquick. Oh I've put in my share of different mix-ins, but they always start from that same yellow box. So imagine my surprise when Nigella comes up with this instant pancake mix that so closely resembles my beloved Bisquick. This accomplishes the whole "make pancakes in minutes" gig but with the caveat that you get to proclaim them as being homemade. Amazing! All you do is mix a few dry ingredients together, store them in an airtight container and toss them in the pantry. You will then be set to make delicious pancakes any time your heart desires.

The batter turned out perfectly and was very easy to assemble. The measurements for the batter are also easy to remember so you don't have to go hunting for the recipe next time. The pancakes themselves had a nice consistency and were delicious. Nigella also made a blueberry syrup to accompany these cakes, which I decided to take a crack at since the pancake making itself was such a cinch. Something went wrong with that syrup though. It was really watery and lacking in flavor. Could it have been due to the fact that I used frozen blueberries instead of fresh? I think I will just throw some berries into the batter next time and hopefully yield a better effect. But tonight I'm thinking banana chocolate chip...yum!

Nigella's Instant Pancake Mix w/ Blueberry Maple Syrup
Adapted from Nigella Express, Nigella Lawson, 2007

For the Mix:
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

Mix all the above ingredients together and store in air-tight container.

To make the pancakes:
1 egg
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon melted butter

• Whisk together 1 cup of the mix with each of the items listed above just until combined.
• Use an ice cream scoop or something of that sort to spoon out the batter onto a skillet over medium-high heat.**
• Using a spatula, flip the cakes over once they begin to bubble and have congealed enough to hold there shape.
• Continue flipping and cooking until they are browned on both sides.
  

For the blueberry syrup:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups blueberries

• In a small pot, combine the berries and the syrup.
• Bring up to a boil for 3 minutes.
• Serve over pancakes.
  

**I personally like my pancakes when they are just crisp on the outside, so I always use a medium to medium-low heat to get them just right. But I'm only an expert at eating them, not necessarily cooking them!