Buttermilk Spelt Blueberry Pancakes

I will admit it. I came very very close to not posting tonight. I have been totally exhausted all day (all because a stupid wild turkey decided to land in a tree near my window and gobble very early in the morning until I woke up) and when I came home after the grocery store tonight I was very tempted to order out.

But then I would have disappointed the 4 people who read this blog. And I had told myself I'd post every day this month (and I didn't think then about how long March really is). So I decided to follow through and make dinner tonight. It wasn't a hard decision to decide what to have; I had been looking forward to pancakes for dinner all week.



These pancakes were a little different, however. I grew up in a household where butter was aplenty and flour and sugar were everywhere. I didn't even know what spelt flour was, much less that it existed. I've heard spelt flour being tossed around a bit more these days-people at the gym I go to have been talking about spelt flour in cookies they've had, in waffles they've bought, in bread they've toasted. I had resisted for SO. LONG. in using spelt flour myself. It's not that I had anything against it. I just didn't know if I really wanted to get into the trend because I was happy with my all-purpose flour, and even my whole wheat all-purpose flour. But I thought of it again the other day, and figured I'd give it a shot. I had nothing to lose.

A friend of mine gave me this buttermilk pancake recipe. It is my all time favorite pancake recipe, and it's so easy. The pancakes come out fluffy and completely, utterly awesome. Every single time (unless you do something stupid and multitask and burn the bottom like I've done before) I swapped out the all-purpose flour for spelt, threw some blueberries in, and waited at the griddle for the pancakes to work their magic.

I'm horrible at waiting. Anyone will tell you that. But I had to try.



But the end product was great, once I got over myself and my impatience. These pancakes were different, but they were very good. It's hard to tell what the difference is with spelt, but I'd say if anything, the pancakes weren't *quite* as fluffy as they normally are. But I really liked this pancake, and I'm pretty excited that I have leftovers-they will make my breakfasts for the next few mornings quite easy.



Buttermilk Spelt Blueberry Pancakes (origins of original recipe unknown; recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes from Katherine Axt)

1 cup of spelt flour (original calls for all-purpose, if you want to go that route)
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sugar
1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
1.5 tsp. canola oil

Combine all ingredients in one bowl. Mix until fully incorporated. Do not mix enough so that too much air gets into the batter.
Prepare the griddle: spray with cooking spray so that batter does not stick and turn the heat to medium to medium high. The griddle will be ready when you flick some water onto the pan-if it dances across, get to work.
Ladle batter and add toppings of choice if desired (I love blueberries; I also love chocolate chips and the combination of chocolate chips and chopped pecans-get creative!). Cook at medium heat.
Flip pancakes after about 3 minutes or when you see bubbles form in the pancake. Cook the other side for about 3 minutes more.
Make sure you eat these with real maple syrup. The fake stuff just doesn't do.

This recipe will make you about 8 pancakes. I generally double this recipe if I'm making them for more than 2 people.