blueberry buttermilk pancakes party!

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 Homemade pancakes was the first recipe I mastered at around age 8, probably because pancakes were my FAVORITE food as a kid. My mom wasn't big on convenience foods and I don't think we ever had pancake mix in the house. If we wanted something to eat that we didn't have we got out a cookbook and made it from scratch. We also walked 5 miles to school, uphill, both ways, ha!

Homemade pancakes are so easy & delicious & quick too! You can even mix up a batch of the dry ingredients and store it in the pantry to have a head start on your weekend breakfast! Then just mix in the eggs, melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla when you are ready to make them.

I still love pancakes and I make them as often as my family will allow possible. Sunday morning breakfast at our house usually includes homemade waffles, which are Mark and Monica's favorite, but sometimes I talk them into PANCAKES and these blueberry buttermilk are my very favorite.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

makes 4 servings, about 16 pancakes

ingredients:

2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk, I use low-fat buttermilk & it works perfectly
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
powdered sugar, butter & maple syrup to serve

directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, melted butter & vanilla. I just dump it all in and then stir until the batter is smooth and has no lumps of flour remaining. Do not over mix. Batter will be thick.

2. Heat an electric griddle to medium-high heat. Spray griddle with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. You may need to spread it a bit with the back of a spoon since the batter is very thick. Scatter some blueberries over each pancake.

3. Cook until bubbles form on top and the batter is set, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Flip the pancakes over & cook until golden brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Keep warm in a 225 degree oven while cooking the remaining pancakes.

6. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

 P.S. If you don't have an electric griddle you can use a skillet on the stove but the griddle really makes a difference. The pancakes cook more evenly on a griddle & you can cook more pancakes at a time.

chocolate chocolate chip muffins party!

What a GREAT way to start your day! These bakery style muffins are moist, chocolaty & delicious! Many chocolate muffins I’ve had taste more like a cupcake. But this is a TRUE muffin, not as sweet as a cupcake & of course, no frosting. 

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins 

 recipe adapted from:  Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

ingredients:

 

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup  nonfat plain yogurt

2 cups all purpose flour (I used 1 1/2 cups all purpose & 1/2 cup wheat flour)

1 12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips, divided (I used semi-sweet but milk chocolate would be great too)

1 tablespoon coarse sugar, optional

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 cup muffin tin or line with baking cups. I greased my muffin tin well with Crisco on a paper towel & they came out perfectly with no sticking at all.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt & vanilla. Beat in eggs, stir in milk and yogurt. Mix in flour. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips. Reserve 1/2 cup chocolate chips for topping.

3. Divide batter equally between the muffin cups. THEY WILL BE FULL. Sprinkle each muffin with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips & some coarse sugar, if desired.

4. Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. *Without removing the muffins from the oven, decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees & bake for an additional 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out without batter. Chocolate from the chocolate chips on the toothpick is fine. Avoid over baking or they will be dry. Remove from oven & cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan to wire rack & cool completely.

*Starting at a higher temp & then decreasing it gives the muffins this beautiful high rise. 

 

 P.S. I like to bake my muffins directly in the muffin pan and I use baking cups to serve them in. 

peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with m&m's party!

Shown above with multi-colored m&m's! 

Shown below with school colors...GO Hawks!

This is a beloved recipe from our extended family cookbook we put together about 12 years ago. The recipe is an original from my mom. The peanut butter, chocolate chips & oatmeal combination is the golden key to cookie perfection! Thanks, Mom!

I like to add m&m's for a double dose of chocolate. You can definitely make these without the m&ms and they are just as yummy. I made these today in school colors for some awesome 2012 Alta High School graduates.

I like to make these cookies small, almost bite sized. They don't spread much and they are thick & chewy in the middle. I always slightly under bake my cookies because I like them soft with only a teensy crunch on the edges.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal M&M Cookies
makes 90 small cookies

ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup peanut butter (I use smooth, Mom uses chunky)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 oz. chocolate chips (I use mini, Mom uses mega)
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
1 cup m&m's, optional

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar & brown sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla and blend. Mix in flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

2. Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and drop cookie dough by tablespoon onto pan. I use my small Pampered Chef scoop to measure the cookie dough.

3. Bake 5-6 minutes. (mine were perfect at 5 minutes) Remove cookie sheet from oven & press m&m's into the tops of the cookies. Place back in oven & bake an additional 2 minutes.

4. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes then remove to cooling rack.

Congratulations class of 2012!

Cookie tip: If you are making cookies & they go flat when baked and you don't want them to, your butter may be too soft. You can try adding an extra 1/4 cup of flour or refrigerate your cookie dough for about 45 minutes & between batches.