Pancake Day

For someone who was born in Los Angeles where there is no weather to speak of,  since moving to Pittsburgh Kate has completely embraced weather cancellations and delays at school.  In fact, I think she is obsessed with the whole idea.  I was dismayed to find out last night that not only does she receive text updates regarding school delays and cancellations for her own school, but she receives them for the public school district we live in and for several other private schools.  She says that knowing what the other schools are doing helps predict a trend that should include her school.  This is troubling to me on so many levels.

Last night we had eight inches of snow.  Kate was obsessed with whether schools were going to delay or close today.  The really remarkable thing about this was that her school did not have school today because of teacher in service.  Kate was still obsessed.  It seems that her friend Spencer had Thursday, Friday, and Monday off for President's weekend.  Kate had Friday, Monday, and Tuesday off.  Schools did close today and Spencer parlayed her five day weekend into six.  Kate was very happy for Spencer but annoyed that she hadn't had Thursday off too.  As I said, troubling on so many levels.

What's Kate going to do when she gets to college and then has a job where there are no snow days?

The point of all this, besides amusing all of you (remember I live with her), is that when there's a delay or no school, Kate thinks it's Pancake Day.  On regular school mornings, she is so slow that she only has time to grab something on her way out the door.  This is why there are about a thousand crumbs in my car.  (The "everything" bagel is a particular problem.)  But on those special mornings when there's no rush, there's nothing she likes more than pancakes.

So because today is a snow day for some kids and a teacher in service day for Kate, it's also Pancake Day in my house.

Recipe: Buttermilk Pancakes
(Fine Cooking Magazine)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
Vegetable oil for the griddle

Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave.  Set aside and let cool briefly.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Whisk gently until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated.  Stop before the batter is evenly moistened.  Add the cooled melted butter and mix until the batter is evenly moistened but still lumpy.  Let the batter rest while you heat the griddle.

Heat a griddle over medium heat.  Lightly oil the griddle.  Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake, spacing them about 1 inch apart.  Let cook, undisturbed,  until bubbles rise to the surface and the edges appear dry, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Flip and cook the second side, about 1 minute.  Repeat with the remaining batter.  Serve hot.