Chocolate chip blueberry buttermilk pancakes

Did you know that it is Pancake Week? I didn't. I rarely to never make pancakes, and I happened to do so on Pancake Week. How odd! I wanted to make a special breakfast-y meal for Elijah on his birthday, so I figured I couldn't go wrong combining chocolate, blueberries and pancakes. They were super tasty! This recipe made a huge batch, so we have been eating pancakes for breakfast all week. On Pancake Week! Again, odd.

In a medium bowl, combine:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine:

3 cups buttermilk

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted

Add the flour mixture to the batter and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix!

Add:

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Stir carefully, just until combined.

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and spray it with cooking spray. Use a 3/4-cup measuring cup to scoop the pancake batter onto the hot skillet. The batter will be very thick, so use the back of a spoon to shape each pancake into a circle (or whichever shape you wish).

When bubbles begin to form, flip the pancake with a spatula and cook until the batter is no longer runny. I actually had to perform the toothpick test on a few of these due to major fluffiness.

Serve warm, with butter and syrup!

The great thing about this recipe is that you can add and subtract filler ingredients to tailor to your liking. Omit the chocolate chips and blueberries for a fluffy buttermilk pancake recipe. Or replace the chips and berries with apple slices or raisins or another type of fruit.

Happy Pancake Week! 

I can't go without sharing the photo of me eating my "staging" plate. :)

Printable recipe: Chocolate chip blueberry buttermilk pancakes

Crème fraîche

This was my first time baking with crème fraîche (pronounced krem-fresh)! It was insanely simple to make, and I was amazed by how much the flavor changed over time. I added it as an ingredient to make chocolate ganache and it turned out perfectly delicious. 

To make crème fraîche, place 1 cup of heavy whipping cream in a medium saucepan. Warm the cream over low heat until it reaches 105 degrees F. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of buttermilk. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the bowl stand in a warm place until it is thickened, between 24 and 36 hours.

Stir every few hours. The cream will be ready when it has a nutty taste. I thought it tasted like nutty sour cream. Chill the crème fraîche in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours before using and a maximum of 10 days.

Click here for a printable recipe!