Old-Time Pancakes

"Come in, come in," he coaxed, offering a smile of incomplete teeth. Mine were incomplete, too. Knocked out when I jumped off the bed into the clothes hamper that dumped me face-first into mom's hope chest.

The house looked like a ranch shed, but I loved Buddy's dim kitchen. He always had pancake batter ready for the cast iron griddle. I was seven and thought Buddy's pancakes were better than cookies.

Today I have a bright kitchen, most of my teeth and Buddy's secret to great pancakes.

Don't fuss with the batter. Use fresh ingredients; if you don't have a Jersey out back, buy organic buttermilk and butter. Free range eggs are second best to your own laying hens. If you are blessed to have a Kitchen-Aid, use the whisk attachment and toss all this in a shiny bowl for a good mixing:

6 egg yolks
 1 qt. buttermilk
2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. butter, softened

Buddy kept the batter in a large pickle jar in his Frigidaire. Before pouring it into the jar, though he'd whip up the 6 egg whites he separated from the yolks. Real frothy-like with foamy bubbles. He barely mixed them in. Today, we'd say, "gently fold the egg whites into the batter."

I think it's best to let the batter sit overnight. It also makes for an easy morning breakfast. One of Buddy's secrets was to let bubbles form into small pock-marks before the first flipping of each pancake. They always turn out perfectly golden.

Serve hot off the griddle for the best flavor. Now that I live in Minnesota I always have maple syrup from the woods up north. But Buddy often sprinkled our pancakes with powdered sugar.

Enjoy this taste from one of my dear old-timers from childhood. And no complaints if you develop a problem hitchin' up your pants.