Pancakes

~the farmgirl story~
This recipe is from my sister Sara.  I have been making these for years.  I don't really ever buy pancake mix any more.  I don't know for sure if these are cheaper, but they are definitely better and by not buying pancake mix it's one less thing I need to purchase at the store.

Pancakes

1 cup flour
1 Tbl. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 Tbl. oil

~the farmgirl disclaimer~
I usually add a bit more milk.  I also make these using whole wheat flour and my kids still love them.  If I want to make waffles, I just add a bit more oil and baking powder and it works great.

And while we're on the subject of purchasing fewer items at the store...I no longer buy syrup.  And it's better homemade too!  I just bought Mapleine imitation maple flavor and followed the directions on the bottle.
1 cup boiling water poured over 2 cups sugar, add 1/2 tsp Mapleine and stir.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  I've also done 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar.  I know exactly what's in it, and it doesn't leave an after taste like store bought syrup does.  Sure, it's not Butter Milk Syrup (or my favorite name for it Crack Sauce)--but it's simple and I like it.

Crack Sauce aka Buttermilk Syrup

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
3 Tbl. corn syrup

In a LARGE saucepan, bring contents to boil, boiling for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, add 2 tsp vanilla.  Start the timer as soon as it looks like there are bubbles in the syrup, I don't wait for a rolling boil.

Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake

~the farmgirl story~
This recipe is from my friend Anne. Anne is amazing and I love her. She is my food twin. We understand each other on many levels. None more so than on food and treats. I have made this on many occasions. Yesterday it was for a little breakfast party. It's always a winner. Thanks, Anne.

Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 t vanilla
2 cups cake flour (which I never have on hand and regular flour always turns out just fine)
1 t baking powder
1/2 cup blueberries

filling:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts
mix until combined

cream butter and sugar, add eggs. fold in sour cream and vanilla. sift together dry ingredients, add to wet mixture. fold in blueberries. pour 1/3 batter into greased bundt pan. sprinkle with 1/2 the filling. pour 1/3 batter over top, sprinkle remaining filling. gently swirl cake with a spatula. bake at 350 for one hour. cool and invert onto a serving platter. dust with powdered sugar. serves 12-16

~the farmgirl disclaimer~
As I have discovered over the last 6 months, baking at a higher elevation really does make a difference. This ended up needing to be baked longer than I have ever needed to bake it before. I don't know if that is because of the elevation or not, it's just what happened.

Carmel Pecan French Toast

~the farmgirl story~
I first tasted this amazingness at a Christmas breakfast party about 7ish years ago. They are really, really good. I hadn't made them in quite some time, until I had a little Christmas breakfast get together of my own yesterday. They were a HUGE hit.

Carmel Pecan French Toast

1-cup brown sugar packed

½ cup butter

2 Tbl light corn syrup

1-cup pecans chopped

1 loaf French bread sliced into 18 slices

6 eggs beaten

1 ½ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbl sugar

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, stir together brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Heat and stir until the butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 3 qt. Rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the pecans. Arrange half of the bread slices in a single layer over pecans (you may have to cut some to make them fit). Sprinkle with remaining pecans and top with the remaining bread slices. In a medium bowl stir eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour over bread slices. Press with back of spoon to moisten. Stir together sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle over bread. Cover and chill 8-24 hours. Bake uncovered in 350* oven for 30-40 mins. or until lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plates. Serves 9.

~farmgirl disclaimer~
I don't usually layer the bread. I like the caramely, nutty goodness on every bite. So I will double every thing else and make two pans (because, really, no one will complain about having too much). It's best served with a bit of whip cream on the top. Enjoy!