The Fluffiest Buttermilk Pancakes

Just about two weeks ago (maybe one and a half?)  it finally happened.  It FINALLY happened, and it was seriously about time.  I can't even begin to explain to all of you guys how much I had been waiting for that day to come, and when it came, boy, was I ready.

My family's cell phone plan with T-Mobile finally ended.  This of course, only meant one thing...time to get an iPhone, FINALLY.  I was beyond excited, and when I finally got to open that pretty little white box holding a pretty little white iPhone inside, the world finally seemed right.  It didn't matter that I was super tired from waking up at 6 am to go to work, or that I was really hungry because I had to skip dinner to go get my phone, or that I was missing my day's workout.  None of that mattered, because I finally had an iPhone to call my own, and because I could finally get rid of that awful excuse of a phone that I used to have (seriously, I had the WORST phone ever).  That may have been a little over-dramatic, and not really true, because missing having to miss dinner was a bit annoying (I got home from work that day at 7, and we had to be at the AT&T store before it closed at 8, so I was basically running on what I had for lunch at 1 in the afternoon!).  Regardless of how hungry I was that evening, my new iPhone totally made up for it.

The best part of getting a new phone is definitely getting to customize it- programming it with your contacts, picking a ringtone, downloading apps...ahhh, I had so much fun.  Of couse, one of the first apps I got was Instagram, and my sister suggested I also get an app called, "Hipstamatic," because it has more interesting camera options (I'm totally taking my sister's word on this, because I really have no experience with Instagram, so I can't really compare the two), but also gives you the option to share all your photos via Instagram (and I also had to get it because it was called "Hipstamatic"...the name made me laugh and shake my head at the same time...).  All I know is that it made the photos I took on my iPhone look great, so I was happy with that!

Moving forward from the iPhone purchase to this past weekend, I came across a situation where having a quality cell phone camera was going to come in handy.  My cousin and his wife were coming to New York from Colombia on Saturday, and leaving on Sunday morning (my cousin is a pilot, so he was working that flight). Whenever my family members come over, we always try to have a special breakfast prepared for them...the only problem is that their flights get in at 6 am, so they're usually at my house by 7 am.  Maybe it's just me, but that is just wayyy too early for me to be preparing special breakfasts, especially on Saturday mornings!  I did want to make something delicious though, so that I would be able to share it with all of you guys, but let's be real...waking up that early on a Saturday to make and stage a photo-shoot of whatever I chose to make did not seem like a fun time.  Fortunately, Hipstamatic was able to save the day!  I somehow managed to wake up early that morning and prepare breakfast with my sister while my cousins were getting picked up from the airport, and take some decent impromptu photos of these super delicious and fluffy buttermilk pancakes.  

This is my sister's recipe for buttermilk pancakes.  My sister is mildly obsessed with pancakes, and with creating the fluffiest pancakes she can possibly make.  Now I love fluffy pancakes just as much as everyone else, but my sister is legitimately infatuated with the idea of having her pancakes be fluffy to the point that I once had to call her pancakes a bit ridiculous (seriously, those pancakes were too fluffy...they was like an inch thick and disintegrated as soon as I took a bite!).  These buttermilk pancakes, however, are perfect.  They have just the right amount of fluffiness needed to make them awesome, and are the perfect way to start off your Saturday morning, no matter how early it is!  They're just as easy to prepare as any other pancake recipe, but these are definitely a couple of notches above the rest.  They were delicious when topped with a small dab of butter here and there and a nice coating of maple syrup, and everyone, especially my cousins, loved them!  If you're looking for easy buttermilk pancakes, this is the only recipe you'll need.  Enjoy!

Follow me on Instagram!  My username is ambrosiabaking (derrr), but I don't actually have any photos up just yet...my Instagram account is currently a work in progress; I need a little time to figure out exactly how it works! In the meantime, follow me anyway, so you can stay up-to-date with impromptu recipe photos and posts, and other random little musings from my day-to-day life (because it's really that interesting...nope). Stay tuned!

The Fluffiest Buttermilk Pancakes
my sister's recipe!

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Begin by preparing the "buttermilk."  Combine the milk and vinegar together in a measuring cup, and allow to sit for ten minutes. 

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In another bowl, whisk together the egg and melted butter.  Add the egg mixture to the buttermilk. 

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the wet ingredients into the well.  With a whisk, combine the wet and dry ingredients, using "literally like ten strokes" (as per my sister's instructions). The pancake batter will be very spongy and fluffy!

When the pancake batter is ready, begin to preheat a griddle over medium-high heat on your stove.  Add a little butter or baking spray to the griddle.  Using a 1/4 cup measure, begin to drop the pancake batter onto the hot griddle.  Allow the pancakes to cook undisturbed, until bubbles begin to form on the tops of each pancake. Once bubbles have formed, carefully flip the pancakes over and allow them to cook for another minute or so, until both sides of the pancakes are evenly golden brown.  Remove the pancakes from the griddle, and serve with maple syrup or the jam of your choice.  Enjoy! 

Makes 8 pancakes