Vegan Blueberry Pancakes

This is my plate--full of syrup and stacked three-high! Delish!

I wouldn't call myself a morning person. I tend to not want to talk a lot then either--writing is okay. (This was a huge challenge in an office of "morning people".) By eleven, I am usually feeling human. I also tend to not eat a "breakfast"--most days, I subsist on a banana smeared with peanut butter and my cup of coffee. But this morning I was reading the New York Times and found a recipe for Oatmeal Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes by Martha Rose Shulman. I own several of her cookbooks--she is a great inspiration for me. When I saw the recipe though I thought well, I have had some recipes for blueberry pancakes turn out well, and I have had some turn out really badly. I was interested in trying this one out because I happen to love blueberries--but again, with caution, because not all vegan translations work out they way you want them to. (And why I have not done a post on blueberries yet is beyond me--next summer, perhaps.)

Anyway, my husband can be a picky morning eater, too. He loves a peanut butter and pickle sandwich (not my cup of tea, however, it is what he had as a youngster and still loves today). I have to watch my pancake making with him because this can really be a point of contention if the recipe I make does not meet his "memories of Bisquick" pancakes. I am not a fan of the B. It became a staple when I was growing up when our food funds ran low--it brings back not-so-fond memories. So, I try to indulge my mornings once in a very great while with a "from scratch" breakfast item. (Waffles are a different story.)

I loved this veganized version of Martha's pancake. I made the usual vegan changes--no egg, use soy milk. I also added some ground flax seed and a pinch of cinnamon to the recipe. Then, about 1/4 cup of spelt flour. You can play with this recipe in many ways. The reason I say that is--it is sometimes a challenge to get a non-vegan pancake recipe to vegan-ize well. I don't know why, it just is. So, you might need to try and re-try (like with my brownies), however, I thought these were wonderful! When my husband saw the blueberries as he stumbled into the kitchen, he went, Oh. I said, okay, no blueberries for you--and made him a few sans the berries. He felt the pancakes needed some extra cooking time owing to the fact that to him, the center felt a bit undercooked. I thought that might have something to do with the fact that there is a half cup of oats mixed with milk in the recipe. He is not a fan, nor will he ever be a fan, of cooked cereal in any way, shape or form. But to me, they tasted perfect! Follow the heating instructions--remember, you need a hot griddle for pancake making!

Vegan Blueberry Pancakes

1 1/2 cups soy milk
1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons of Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground flax seed
1/4 cup spelt flour
1 tablespoon Florida Crystals or Turbinado Sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup soy milk
some frozen blueberries to top the pancake with

Mix the 1 1/2 cup of soy milk with the apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside (making your vegan buttermilk). Next, prepare your Egg Replacer and set aside. Then, take the 1/2 cup of soy milk and mix with the oats--set aside. Whisk your dry ingredients together (spelt flour, wheat flour, AP flour, cinnamon, baking power, baking soda, ground flax seed, salt and sugar). Next, take the "buttermilk" mixture and add this, along with vanilla and Egg Replacer mix to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spoon--just until it is sort of all mixed--do not over mix--lumps are okay. Next, add the oats and milk mixture--just carefully add this to it and mix lightly. Martha suggests you allow the batter to sit in the fridge for an hour. I gave it 30 minutes and it was fine. It would also be okay to mix this the night before. Heat a non-stick griddle with a little non-stick spray. (I think it is an important step because there is nothing worse than a stuck pancake!). Place about a 1/3 cup of batter per pancake on the griddle and spread out with the back of a spoon to ensure roundness. Drop about 5-8 blueberries per pancake on top of the batter (or not, for the blueberry averse). Allow pancake to show bubbles on the top of the batter before you flip it. Once the top is covered with bubbles, it should be okay to flip. Cook an additional 2 minutes or so on the other side--just watch the coloration and doneness--test the middle with the point of a knife to be sure. Remove from griddle and keep warm in the oven or serve immediately or, better yet, you can also freeze these after they've cooled and re-heat in the microwave. Top with tons of syrup! Enjoy!