Buttermilk Pancakes

Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup milk (a little more for thinner pancakes)

1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
Crisco for pan



Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Blend well with a wire whisk. Combine buttermilk, milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter in a medium bowl. Whisk until blended.
Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients; mix with a wooden spoon until just blended. Lumps are okay! Don’t over mix or pancakes will be tough.

Heat pan, preferably a cast iron skillet, to medium. Place enough shortening in pan to coat bottom of pan. I make a little test pancake to see if temperature is right. Add additional Crisco for every other pancake or as needed. Turn pancake when there are bubbles across the top of it. Pancakes should be deep golden brown. Only turn once so they won’t be tough.  Makes about 12-14 tender pancakes.

Serve hot out of the pan or heat oven to 200 F and place pancakes in oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding

 adapted from Southern Living, 2000 

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4-5 medium sized bananas, sliced

vanilla wafers- either leave whole or break into smaller pieces (you won't need the whole box)

With a whisk, combine flour and salt in medium saucepan. Whisk in milk.

Next, whisk in condensed milk and yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and just comes to a boil.

Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Layer some banana slices in a 2-quart dish. Cover bananas with some of the pudding. Top with vanilla wafers. Repeat layers once. Pudding should be the top layer so the bananas are fully covered. Arrange some wafers around inside edge of dish if desired, pushing wafers into pudding. 

Serve warm or cold with whipped cream. It's delicious without the cream too.