Basic Pancake Mix

Say goodbye to Aunt Jemima! Once you taste these homemade pancakes, I think you'll agree they're much better than the boxed kind! Add a bit of vanilla or fruit (frozen blueberries work well) to make them extra special. If you want, mix up the dry ingredients in advance and give it away as a gift (with instructions on how to finish making the pancakes) or just store it for even quicker pancakes on Sunday mornings.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 3-4
• Yields: 8 large pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄4-1 1⁄2 cups milk
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.
2. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk.
3. Start with 1 1/4 cups milk, adding up to another 1/4 cup if necessary, as you mix it with the flour.
4. Add the two eggs, vanilla if using and oil, whisking until mixed but still a bit lumpy.
5. Heat a frying pan (if it is not non-stick, you will need to melt a bit of butter or oil in it) and when hot, pour in some pancake mix.
6. How much depends on how experienced you are at flipping pancakes and how big you want them. We do about 1/4 cup a time for small, easy-to-flip pancakes but you could make this as much as 1/2 cup of pancake mix.
7. If you are adding fruit, I like to sprinkle it on top of the pancake now.
8. When the pancake starts to bubble on top and is golden brown on the cooked side, turn it and continue cooking until both sides are golden brown.
9. The first pancake is always a bit of a test so adjust the batter by adding more flour if you need to make it thicker or more milk if you want a thinner pancake. In either case, just add a few spoonfuls at a time until you get it right.
10. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter. You may need to adjust the heat as pan tends to get hotter as you keep making pancakes.
11. Keep the cooked pancakes covered with a tea towel, to keep them warm while you finish cooking the rest.