Yield: 16 silver dollar-sized pancakes

As much as I love teaching, I also love having the time on weekday mornings in the summer to make pancakes for breakfast, as I did this morning.  (I made a half batch which I shared with Minnie, the miniature Great Dane, so that I wouldn’t stuff myself!  I know, that’s terrible; but our gal has one heck of a metabolism, and peanut butter is fine for dogs.)

I made these beauties silver dollar-sized and garnished the sparkling plate with a sprig of pineapple sage from my garden.  (I love that herb; if anyone has a recipe that calls for it, please share!  In the meantime, I’m going to be thinking of a dish to create that will feature it’s slightly tropical-sweet, but distinctly sage-y, earthiness.)

For this recipe, I used a bit more baking powder and baking soda than I usually do for extra lift to counteract what could have been a little heaviness from the oats.  The result is light, but still toothsome.

1/2 cup spelt or whole wheat flour (I am a devout fan of spelt flour)

1/2 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup raw old fashioned oats

3 tablespoons natural sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla would also be good–regular or lite)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter, warmed slightly in microwave

Vegan butter and canola oil for frying (I like Earth Balance butter)

Accompaniments:  Jelly or jam (I like apricot “pure fruit”) and optional vegan sour cream

Garnishes: roasted and lightly salted peanuts and sprigs of herbs (I like pineapple sage)

Preheat the oven to warm. Make pancakes:  in a medium mixing bowl, place both flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.  In a small bowl, whisk together soymilk and warmed peanut butter.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the soymilk mixture. Whisk together until well combined. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces the chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using 2 tablespoons of batter, make pancakes, about five to six at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep the skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium, especially for the second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil and pancake batter.  Serve each pancake topped with jelly or jam, optional vegan sour cream (I highly recommend), and a peanut if desired.  (Note: if you think the nut in the photo looks like a pistachio, you’re right!  We were out of peanuts.)