Before I moved to Ottawa, I thought maple syrup was that goopy brown stuff that came out of bizarrely shaped plastic supermarket bottles. It didn’t take long to give up those corn syrup and molasses concoctions in favour of sugar maple syrup. But I’ve never gotten used to those spongy buttermilk pancakes that are served with them. They are too light and have too much air. The syrup your pour on top disappears mysteriously into their interior, absorbing some 20 times its weight in syrup. This is an admirable quality in paper towels, but pancakes? All of which is to say, this is the perfect pancake for maple syrup. The original recipe is from an old Harrowsmith magazine, and I’ve tweaked the recipe through eight sugar bush seasons. The oats make it slightly chewy on the outside, and protect it from the onslaught of syrup. But they aren’t too heavy or too wet like some other whole grain recipes. And the spice level is just right.
The preparation is easy. You’ll need:
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
Soak oats in buttermilk for 10 minutes. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, spices and salt in a large bowl. Then add the egg, brown sugar, and oat mixture into the dry ingredients. The tricky part is getting the consistency right, which you don’t really figure out until the next step, when it is too late. These are the pancakes sacrificed in the quest for the perfect pancake.
I use a large non-stick pan, lightly brushed with oil, and heated over medium heat until hot. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake into the pan. In about minute, bubbles appear on the surface and the undersides are golden brown. If the surface starts looking dry, you’ve waited too long. Flip the pancake and cook the other side for another minute. Brush your pan lightly with oil between batches.
Serve with maple syrup, and maybe a few apples.
