While it seems everywhere else in North America has been suffering from the ravages of winter, Vancouver has been left pretty unscathed. That is until this past Saturday when snow not only fell from the sky but managed to stick on the ground as well. For better or worse, we Vancouverites aren't a hearty winter breed. Here winter means dark days, endless rain and temperatures that rarely fall below freezing. So when snow threatens to fall, we panic. We can't drive in the snow and we complain endlessly when there's more than an inch on the ground. The only thing to do is to make friends with the snow. Or just stay indoors and be cozy. And this past Sunday morning, remaining indoors and getting cozy is just what I did.
These pancakes are hearty and wholesome and nicely spiced. Originally, I was going to blend up some old-fashioned rolled oats to make some oat flour, but when I spotted a bag of 10 Grain cereal in my cupboards I went with the easiest option. And it was a fine choice. The batter is thick but as long as you smooth out the tops after you add them to the pan, they easily cook all the way through.
It's the perfect weekend lazy breakfast, but it's quick enough to whip up a batch mid-week. So enjoy a filling breakfast while watching the snow fall.
If you don't have a bag of 10 grain cereal in your cupboard, just whirl some whole oats in your food processor for a bit until they break down slightly and use that instead. You can also add in some cornmeal, ground flax, wheat germ, or whatever odd bits of grain you can pulverize to create your own mix.
10 Grain Cardamom-Spiced Pancakes
3/4 cup 10 grain cereal (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch nutmeg
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon coconut oil or melted butter
Add the dry ingredients (cereal to the brown sugar) into a large bowl and fluff with a fork until well combined.
In a small bowl, combine the egg, yogurt, milk and oil together. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Let sit for 10 minutes until it rises a bit.
Heat a heavy pan and melt part of the coconut oil or butter. Use the rest of the oil when the pan dries out between batches. Add a heaping tablespoon of batter and lightly smooth out the tops with a spoon, pushing out the batter (as it's quite thick). Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the sides appear golden. Flip and cook for about one more minute. Repeat until all pancakes are made. Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit.
