Wild Blueberry Pancakes

Tamara GilhulyOur champion representing Canada in the Global Breakfast Tournament is Tamara from Muskoka in Ontario.

Over time, I’ve altered my mom’s original pancake recipe to make a version that’s a little healthier and lighter.

The trick of beating the egg white separately is something I picked up from my husband’s favourite waffle recipe. It adds “puff” to the pancakes, which helps counteract the heaviness you can encounter when you introduce whole wheat flour into a recipe.

Blueberries can be folded directly into the batter, but you often end up with purplish pancakes (tastes the same, just different aesthetic.) By dotting blueberries into the pancakes while they’re in the pan, you can preserve batter colour - and also ensure that
Canadian pancakesyou end up with lots of berries in your pancake!

We love to make these pancakes during summers at the lake, when Muskoka wild blueberries are prevalent at roadside stands. The wild berries are small, but pack a lot of flavour! For authentic Canadian taste, serve drizzled with REAL maple syrup (please, not that fake substitute!), Canadian back bacon, and some fresh hot coffee.

Ingredients

1.25 cups unbleached all purpose flour
0.75 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
0.5 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups blueberries, sorted and rinsed
NB Measurements are imperial: 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces.

Method

  1. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
  2. Separate the eggs, placing the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl. Whisk whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, combine yolk, buttermilk, and canola until blended. Add all at once to the flour mixture, stirring gently until just combined. There will be lumps in the batter. Then carefully fold egg whites into the batter until just combined.
  4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle. Gently brush on a little canola oil. Carefully ladle batter into the pan - I use about a quarter cup of batter for each pancake, although sometimes the kids ask for Tinkerbell (tiny) or giant pancakes. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Get a handful of blueberries, and dot them over each pancake in the pan, gently poking the berries down a bit into the batter. Cook until bubble start to form on the tops of the pancakes, and the edges are setting. (It’s crucial to watch the temperature - if the pan is too hot, the bottoms will burn before the pancake cooks through; if the pan is too cool, the pancakes just won’t cook.) Carefully flip the pancakes and
    cook until golden on the other side.
  5. Repeat with remaining batter. You may wish to quickly wipe off the skillet with a soft cloth between batches. If bits of berry are stuck to the skillet, the sugar in the fruit will start to burn and spoil your next batch. If you wish to make up all the pancakes at once before serving, cover a cookie sheet with a dishcloth, and spread out the pancakes in a single layer before putting them in a low oven to keep warm. (Stacking them will cause the pancakes to become soggy).