I spent the great majority of my life despising blueberries. I hated blueberry pancakes, blueberry pie, blueberry muffins - you get the picture. Only recently have I come around and learned to appreciate the humble antioxidant-filled blueberry.
I had some friends over for dinner and searched Pinterest for an impressive dessert and came across Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars (link to recipe below). It has a shortbread crust (which has lemon), cheesecake filling (which has lemon), and a blueberry syrup swirled in the cheesecake filling. . . and yes, it also has lemon. It was the most delicious dessert I had ever had. EVER.
http://jennsrandomscraps.blogspot.ca/2013/06/blueberry-lemon-cheesecake-bars.html?m=1Seriously, click the link above and make these bars. You will not be sorry. They are a bit involved and require some effort (definitely not something you can quickly whip up), but aren't the best things the ones you need to wait for? Make. Them.
Anyway! So I made breakfast this weekend, but wanted something different than the typical omelet I usually make with some potatoes (don't get me wrong - I make AWESOME omelets and even better potatoes).
I stopped at our local produce stand a few days ago and 1/2 pints of blueberries were on sale for only $0.99! So I picked some up along with a bunch of other delicious goodies including. . . you guessed it. . . lemons.
So while looking for things to make for breakfast, I came across all purpose baking mix (Target brand equivalent to Bisquick), the blueberries and lemons I bought at the produce stand, and luckily some Vermont maple syrup. The delicious memories of those blueberry lemon cheesecake bars came rushing into my mind and I was determined to once again experience the scrumptious marriage of lemons and blueberries. And that is the story of how my lemon blueberry pancakes were born.
Now I am sure that someone else out there has come up with this idea already, but for me, this was a whole new experience and a completely original recipe. And they were delicious. My favorite pancakes yet and boy do I LOOOOOOOOVE my pumpkin pancakes in the fall (I will post that recipe at some point, I am sure! So good! It's like eating pumpkin pie, but even better, for breakfast). These pancakes just take like summer with a subtle lemon flavor and fresh plump blueberries.
The only thing that I think could take these pancakes over the deliciousness edge would be a cheesecake-type filling (laced with lemon) smeared between two pancakes and then drizzled with syrup. Umm, hello?! I think that would be amazing, but I did not have any cream cheese on hand to try it. Next time, I think I will plan ahead to make these pancakes and will make sure to get some cream cheese. . . or mascarpone. . . oh gosh, I am officially salivating! Enough talking. Start cooking. I hope you enjoy my lemon blueberry pancakes!
Ingredients:
Pancake batter (homemade or your favorite brand - enough batter for about 12-16 pancakes)
1 lemon
1/2 pint of blueberries, washed
2 heaping tablespoons of sugar
Butter for cooking (or you can use cooking spray)
Directions:
1. Preheat your skillet or counter top griddle on medium to medium-high heat
2. To your pancake batter that you should have already prepared either by your own recipe or package directions, add the zest and juice of the lemon.
3. Add the blueberries and mix until evenly distributed in the batter.
4. Add the sugar and mix again (you need extra sugar to counteract the tartness of the lemon)
5. You may now have batter that is a little runny, depending on how thick you made it to begin with. If it is too runny, add some flour or baking mix (a tbsp at a time) in order to get the right consistency. It is all about preference. I like my batter kind of thick because I like really dense pancakes, but if you like lighter pancakes, then don't make the batter too thick.
6. Add butter (or cooking spray) to your skillet or griddle to coat. Butter is my preferred method because not only does it keep the pancakes from sticking, but it also gives them rich buttery flavor and makes them kind of crispy along the edges.
7. Pour the batter onto your skillet or griddle to make desired size pancakes (mine are usually about 5 inches across)
8. When bubbles form all over the top of the pancakes, flip them over. Adjust your heat if needed.
9. To keep pancakes warm while finishing up the batter, I put them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper (or you can just grease it) and put them in a 225 degree oven. Other people put them on a plate and cover with tin foil - whatever you want to do.
10. When all the batter is used up and all pancakes are finished, serve with your favorite syrup and enjoy! I paired these babies with apple maple chicken breakfast sausage - so good!
