Oatmeal Pancakes

It's not often I have an excuse to cook breakfast for the two of us anymore, but on the rare occasion the stars align and Ross and I will find ourselves around the kitchen table on a Sunday morning. The previous night Ross mentioned he had a craving for oatmeal. And I recalled coming across this recipe. This morning seemed like a fine time to try it. Just don't be in a rush to make these...the batter does need to stand for 30 minutes before it meets the skillet.

adapted from the South Beach Diet Cookbook by Arthur Agatston, M.D.

makes 12 pancakes

The Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
2 cups fat-free milk
1 egg
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar substitute
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

The Process:
In a medium bowl, combine the oats and milk ans allow to stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the egg, flour, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar substitute, oil and salt, mixing until evenly blended and only small lumps remain. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/4 cup into the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the top starts to bubble and the bottom is browned. Turn and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, or until golden brown. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Repeat to make a total of 12 pancakes.

My Modifications:
I added 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to give these cakes a little more flavor.

The Review:
I should have read the recipe all the way through for a second or third time before getting started. I seemed to have forgotten about the 30 minute rest time, which meant a much later start to our day in the end. But I think these pancakes were worth the extra time.

The recipe stated these pancakes tend to be somewhat dense...and they are. But not in a negative way. Perhaps "hearty" would be a better way to phrase that. These pancakes are not the light as air, fluffy angels you come across at many a dinner...they are dense. But I felt the amount of baking powder still gave them a certain amount of buoyancy that kept them from getting heavy.

Hearty. And perhaps a bit rustic. The wheat germ added a nice nutty flavor, and the oatmeal gave them a nice tooth. Yet they sucked up syrup and butter as well as the dinner variety. We'll more likely than not add this to our slow morning repertoire.