Greek Yogurt Pancakes with Homemade Peach Preserves

The Setting: Blue skies, warm sun, and a cleaner-than-usual apartment.

The Soundtrack: Excited chatter and squeals from the neighborhood children enjoying the amazing weather outdoors.

Steaming up the Oven: Nothing. But I've got a fridge full of Chinese food!

The Scenario: Pancakes are one of our weekend go-tos in casa de Crumm. We've had a pretty solid recipe for a few years now, but we recently came up with a little deviation we like even better.

Buttermilk is one of those things I always need and never have. I keep telling myself to add dried buttermilk to the grocery list so it'll be in the pantry when the whim to whip up waffles or pancakes or biscuits strikes, but I always forget.

We typically sour a little skim milk ('cause that's what we have) with lemon juice or vinegar, and it does the job alright.

But a while back, I fiddled with our recipe and threw in some Greek yogurt that was rapidly approaching its use-by date instead.

I thinned the yogurt a bit with milk but left the batter a little on the thick side.

The results were fluffy and delicious pancakes that have commanded several repeat appearances.

Excellent with blueberries, with chocolate chips, or plain, my favorite variation to date is a short stack topped with homemade peach preserves, a pat of real butter, and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes
With the butter and the sugar in this recipe, I stay a little closer to 1-T each when I am trying to be healthier, and a little closer to 2-T each when I feel like loosening the reins a little. It's a shrug of a difference.

1-2 T butter, plus a little for the griddle
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1-2 T brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
7 oz Greek yogurt (I use Fage 2% or 0%)
1 cup skim milk
1 large egg

Melt 1-2 T butter in a small, microwave-safe cup. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, salt, soda, and powder. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, milk, and egg. 

Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and combine just to wet all the dry ingredients but not mixing until smooth. Pour the melted butter over the top of the mixture, and stir in with 1-2 rotations, being careful not to over-mix. Let mixture rest while griddle heats.

Lightly butter the griddle and heat to 375 degrees F or med-high heat.

Pour batter onto griddle in desired amounts, and use a spoon or spatula to gently spread the thick batter into a pancake shape.

When bubbles pop up all over the surface, flip the pancake, and cook till golden and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Pancakes that are waiting to be served can be kept warm on a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven. Pancakes to be stored for later can be cooled on a cooling rack.

Serve with Homemade Peach Preserves, real butter (preferably salted), and pure maple syrup.

Leftover pancakes can be stored in a zip-top plastic bag in the fridge for up to one week or individually wrapped in plastic wrap and foil and frozen for up to one month.

Thanks for reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in your life.