Pancake Proliferation
You would think that I had had enough of pancakes lately, but I haven’t.
Just last Friday, I was at the Winston-Salem Kiwanis Club’s annual Pancake Day at Benton Convention Center. In case you haven’t heard, they added a new feature this year: A pancake-eating contest with local celebrities.
I was one of the lucky five to compete. I lost to Jeff Roper of WTQR-FM, but I came in second.
I wrote about the experience, which was more fun than I even expected, in my Feb. 18 column. The Journal also got some video of me in action.
Because the contest was only a minute long for the pancake portion, it left me hungry for more. (A 30-second tiebreaker involved downing just sausage patties.)
When I saw a recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes with Cranberries from the American Institute for Cancer Research, it got my glands salivating.
That was especially true because it’s made with whole grains, unlike most pancakes. Also, the topping is not terribly sweet.
Oatmeal Pancakes with Cranberries
Recipe adapted from the American Institute for Cancer Research.
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole-wheat flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup quick-cooking (not instant) oats
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup dried cranberries
Cooking spray
Powdered sugar (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together all-purpose and whole-wheat flours. Add the salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and oats. Mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites, yogurt, milk, vanilla and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, making sure not to overmix. Stir in the cranberries. For the very best results, allow the batter to rest, covered in the refrigerator, for 30 minutes.
4. Spray a griddle or large, flat pan with cooking spray. Heat to medium-high. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on the upper surface. Flip the pancakes and continue cooking until the second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
5. As you make more pancakes, keep the finished pancakes in the warmed oven on a cookie sheet.
6. When ready to serve, lightly dust pancakes with powdered sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Makes 5 servings.
Nutrition information for one serving: 260 calories, 8 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 39 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 440 mg sodium.
(Photo courtesy of American Institute for Cancer Research)
