Blackberry Skillet Pancake

Everyone has those special recipes that you pull out only for Saturday morning brunch or when company come stay. I have never really found any foods that screamed to be served to visitors or on Christmas morning. But then I met this. This is "melt-in-your-mouth, roll your eyes up in your head and give thanks" kind of good. 

It is quick. You can whip up the batter while your oven is preheating and 18 minutes later you have heaven on a plate. Try it tomorrow morning. Your taste buds will thank you!

Blackberry Skillet Pancake

makes 8 slices but only serves 4 (if you get my drift)

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup Gold Medal white whole wheat flour
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar - packed
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• salted butter
• 1/4 cup frozen or fresh blackberries
• cinnamon, powdered sugar, maple syrup, etc.  for topping

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place cast iron skillet in oven to get hot. 

2. While oven is preheating, whisk the eggs, milk, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. I have used an electric beater but have found that a whisk is faster and seems to make the batter fluffier. 

3. When oven is ready, drop a couple of pats of butter into the skillet in the oven and let it melt. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn, which it can quickly. If you pour your batter into burned butter, it will make your pancake turn dark brown and taste funky. I speak from experience.  *sob*  When butter is almost melted, pull the skillet out of the oven and swish the butter around the skillet. Pour the batter into the pan and drop the blackberries randomly into the batter. Immediately return to the oven and bake for 18 -20 minutes. I have found that mine is almost too brown by 18 minutes so watch it closely. 

4. After it cooks, remove from oven and slice while hot. Top with cinnamon, powdered sugar or maple syrup (my favorite). Enjoy with some hot Irish Breakfast Tea. They go wonderfully together. 

Buttermilk Cornbread

This is my cornbread recipe. It is a huge favorite for my family. Quick and easy, you can pop this baby in the oven in about 10 min. Now, this is not original to me. I tore this out of a Martha Stewart magazine a while back. I have altered it a little bit in the cooking process to suit me, but the ingredients are all hers. Way to go Martha!

Buttermilk Cornbread

 

 

Serves 8

Prep time:10    Total time: 45 min

 

 

1/4 Cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more, room temperature, for baking pan

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup AP flour (spooned and leveled)

1/4 Cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

 

Prehead oven to 400. I cook my cornbread in a cast iron skillet and I go ahead and put it in the oven so it is nice and hot when I put my batter in.

 

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter and eggs (mixture might appear curdled). Add to flour mixture all at once and stir just until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX!

 

At this point, your oven should be preheated. Open the oven and drop a few tablespoons of butter into the skillet. Watch very carefully so it doesn't burn and as soon as it is melted, pull it out of the oven and pour in your batter. You should hear the batter sizzling as it hits that butter in your skillet. It makes this wonderful crispy, buttery crust on the bottom of the cornbread. Smooth the top with a spatula and cook.

 

Bake for 20-25 min or until a toothpick instered in center comes out clean. Pop out of skillet and let cook on a wire rack about 10 -15 minutes before serving.

 

Serve with butter, honey, molasses or sorgum. Delicious!

 

Store in an airtight container on the counter.

 

This was a while back (as Ian is still a baby in this photo) but look at the height on that slice! I could barely fit it in my mouth.