Flax Pancakes with Berry Preserves

Pancakes were a wonderful weekend special occasion growing up. If I went to the kitchen and the griddle was heating up, I knew I was in for my favorite breakfast. In my late teens and early twenties, when I was overly health-conscious and incredibly restrictive, I gave up pancakes, deeming them too unhealthy for me. Idiot.

Healthy or not, pancakes, for me, represent a slice of Americana, and when served with yogurt and berry preserves, act as a vessel for important nutritional consumption. Yogurt has fat and protein to blunt any blood sugar spikes from the sweetness of the meal, and berries provide rich antioxidants that are anti-inflammatory in nature. This recipe makes 6 pancakes, which is perfect to feed me, a single woman, for two breakfasts. Any families may want to double the recipe.

Ingredients

Berry Preserves

• 2-3 cups frozen berries (I use a mixed berry blend)
• Juice from ½ lemon
• ¼ – ½ cup sugar (depending on personal preference of sweetness)
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup chia seeds (optional)

Pancakes

• ½ cup all-purpose (AP) flour
• ½ cup wheat flour (or any flour of choice; can also use more AP flour)
• 2 Tbsp. flax meal
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. sugar (liquid like agave or maple syrup, or crystallized)
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil (I use coconut or sunflower)
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk of choice (use more if needed to reach desired consistency)

Method

For the preserves

1. In a small sauce pan, add berries and place over low-medium heat
2. Once berries have melted, add lemon juice, sugar and salt
3. Stir until ingredients are dissolved and the mixture is boiling
4. Remove from heat and add chia seeds (optional)
5. Stir until combined and set aside to congeal

For the pancakes

1. Preheat non-stick skillet on stove over medium-high heat
2. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, flax, baking powder, salt, and sugar if dry)
3. In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients (oil, egg, milk, and sugar if liquid)
4. Combine ingredients in large bowl, and mix until mixture is homogenous
   1. If the mixture is doughy and hard to mix, add liquid
   1. If the mixture is runny and without structure, add AP flour
5. Ladle batter onto skillet to form discs
6. Once bubbles form and the cooked side is brown, flip pancakes on skillet
   1. You can check for doneness by using a spatula to peek under the pancake
   1. The pancake should easily lift away from the non-stick surface if it is cooked
7. Serve with preserves, yogurt, or syrup and enjoy