Impress brunch guests with swoon-worthy pancakes

By SARA KELLY

As far as I’m concerned, brunch is the greatest innovation of our time.  The telephone and penicillin are both pretty great, but neither of those things are akin to sipping mimosas on a leisurely Sunday afternoon without a care in the world, which brings me to this week’s column.

I threw a little nonchalant brunch last weekend, and the result was to die for. It was so to die for that I don’t care if  “to die for” is a cliché.

I served these buttermilk blueberry pancakes garnished with mixed berries, all accompanied by fresh tangerine mimosas. My guests raved and nearly fainted with pleasure. Ok, maybe not, but it was delightful nonetheless.

Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes:

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
Half a teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries
Maple syrup, for serving

Yields about 12 medium pancakes

The original Martha Stewart recipe called for a few more ingredients I omitted, in addition to sifting the dry ingredients. I don’t sift. I don’t have the time nor inclination for it, and I find that being a little bit aggressive with your whisk gets the job done.  If you’d like to sift your flour though, I won’t stop you.

First, mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and vegetable oil; then pour this mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

Finally, fold in the blueberries. A little trick I use to ensure my pancakes are perfect beyond good reason – and they always are – is to use a half-cup measurer to portion the batter before it hits the pan.

Cook on a greased frying pan or griddle on medium heat for approximately one minute on the first side or until bubbles begin to form. Flip the pancakes with a spatula. When the pancakes are done, they will be golden brown and the blueberries throughout bursting with goodness.

For the mimosas, simply pour a little tangerine juice into champagne glasses and top off with Prosecco or another sparkling wine. Alternatively, Sprite works well for the under–21 set. I find that the tangerine juice adds an extra little bit of sweetness to the drink, a new spin on the traditional brunch drink.

As your guests arrive, put your pancakes on a large serving plate and place at the table alongside berries and maple syrup. Have a seat. Make a toast. Enjoy.