My grandfather made the best buttermilk blueberry pancakes I have ever tasted. Every summer, I would spend two glorious weeks with my grandparents in their comfortable home just outside Seattle. As soon as I arrived for my visit, my grandfather would take me blueberry picking at a nearby farm. While his bucket would be almost overflowing, mine was rather empty since most of the blueberries ended up in my stomach. The farmer used to joke that they should have weighed me before and after to determine how many pounds I ate.

The very next morning, my grandfather would make his famous pancakes. They were light and fluffy, had just the right buttermilky tang, and the blueberries would explode in my mouth. Served with a simple side of bacon or sausage and some fruit, it made the perfect meal.

So in honor of Mother’s Day, I’m sharing my grandfather’s recipe with you. Of course these pancakes take longer than opening a box of the already prepared powdered stuff, she’s your mom – make her pancakes from scratch.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

... a recipe from Loren Ford, my grandfather

makes about 8 six inch pancakes

• 1 ¼ cups flour
• 1 t baking powder
• ¼ t baking soda
• 1 T sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 2 T melted butter
• 1 cup blueberries

Separate the egg and beat together the yolk, buttermilk and melted butter. My grandfather used to use shortening, but since I’m a real kind of ingredient girl, I use butter. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar. Don’t skip this step. I’ve found that sifted ingredients really do make a lighter pancake.

In a metal bowl, whip the egg white until soft peaks form. Do this at the last minute, otherwise your egg white will fall. Begin preheating your pan over medium heat. I like a non-stick pan so I don’t have to use extra grease.

In a few swift strokes, mix together the wet and dry ingredients. Try not to over mix and don’t worry if the batter is a little lumpy. Using a spatula, gently fold in the egg white and blueberries. Again, an important step in keeping your pancakes fluffy. I like to add my blueberries to the batter instead of adding them once the pancakes are in the pan. I’ve found they’re more likely to stay whole during the cooking process and as a result, pop nicely in the mouth with every forkfull.

Spoon the batter into the preheated pan, and cook until edges are slightly dry and bottoms are lightly brown. Flip and cook another one to two minutes more. Serve immediately with maple syrup (the real kind, please not that fake stuff – this is your mother!) and butter.

If you’re feeling creative and inventive, or don’t like blueberries, here are some other options:

• Add 1 T of freshly grated lemon peel and 2 T lemon juice when incorporating the wet and dry ingredients.
• Substitute bananas for the blueberries and add the slices once the batter has been poured into the pan. When you flip the pancakes, the sugar in the bananas will caramelize.
• Heat your fruit of choice (peaches, strawberries, huckleberries, etc.) in a pan with a little water and a tiny amount of sugar. You’ll have a great homemade topping for your pancakes that you can use in place of the syrup.
• Substitute chocolate chips for the blueberries for a succulent surprise kids, and adults, will love.
• Try adding a couple tablespoons of nonfat plain yogurt or creme fraiche with the buttermilk for an extra tang.

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