Almond Milk Pancakes

I have this dream that one day my future daughter-in-law will experience the same pressure I have felt when it comes to continuing on those simple comfort dishes from mom.  The dish that has taken me YEARS to perfect and gain a "did you call mom for directions?!?" (when I did not) comment is Tomato Gravy.  I know what you are thinking, "ew!" but I kid you not, it's amazing [recipe coming soon].  But today I am not talking about gravy....I am talking about a simple little tradition I have tried implementing for a while now..on Sundays I make breakfast for my guys.  Typically, throughout the week breakfast consist of cereal, oatmeal and the occasional left over chicken leg if Max helps himself, but on Sundays we have pancakes. Not from a box. From scratch ya'll! It's the only way I know how, I would mess up box pancakes.  Usually, I make these fluffy decadent flat cakes with buttermilk, and sour cream and all the fat, and sometimes I take a slightly healthier but not really twist on it.  You can substitute buttermilk and sour cream, but almond milk is really good too. I also happen to live with fruit bats and so they request some kind of fruit with just about every dish. Today I made a very simple triple berry topping for these cakes and the guys ate it up! 

You will need:

Almond Milk Pancakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 table spoons sugar
1 table spoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups almond milk

Start by mixing all dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.  I like to "fluff" my ingredients with a dry whisk.  Heat non-stick or well seasoned skillet over medium high heat.  In a separate bowl whisk together eggs and vanilla. I like to whisk them separately so the eggs are incorporated better.  Add egg mixture to dry ingredients. Add almond milk. Here is the trick to good pancakes....DON'T OVER STIR YOUR BATTER!!!  You want a lumpy batter.  I prefer mine a little more runny and so I add more almond milk if needed.  This is also the part where you would sub buttermilk, whole milk or one part whole milk with one part sour cream. Once your batter is mixed and lumpy using a ladle pour your first cake into the skillet.

See the lumps?

The first cake NEVER works out.  Make it a small one.  I like to call this guy the "tester cake" and he is usually reserved for my black lab who eagerly awaits its decadence near by. [I hear his tail thumping now]. Like I said it will be ugly...mine is, so no worries.  You are simply testing the heat of your skillet.

Here is my ugly pancake.

Your pancake is ready to flip when it looks like it is full of pores. Pock marks. Haha. Flip that puppy then.

I mentioned a triple berry topping that I threw together last minute for that you will need:

frozen or fresh berry mixture, I used an organic blend from Publix, it had cherries, blueberries and raspberries. I threw the mixture in a small jar and added about half a table spoon of sugar. Place the jar in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stir.  Warm for another thirty seconds. Place lid on the jar and give it a good shake! Simple, easy berry mix. Try in on other things besides pancakes.

MMMMmmm. These were so good! Enjoy guys. See you next week!