Red, White & Blue Breakfast {Pancakes, Bacon & Berries}

 Do you think there’s enough red, white and blue in this picture?  If you have this breakfast, you’ll be ready for the busy 4th of July celebration; parade in the morning, picnic in the afternoon and fireworks in the evening.

The first step is to cook the bacon (Oscar Mayer Bacon).  Preheat the over to 375° F, line the baking pan with parchment paper, place the bacon strips side by side on the pan and bake them for about 23-28 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

While the bacon is in the oven, get started on the Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake mix.

Basic Buttermilk Pancakes
{makes about 12  four-inch pancakes}

2  cups all-purpose flour
2  teaspoons baking powder
1  teaspoon baking soda
1/2  teaspoon salt
3  tablespoons sugar
2  large eggs, lightly beaten
3  cups buttermilk
4  tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon for griddle/pan
fresh blueberries (optional)

1.  In a medium bowl, melt 4 tablespoons butter, then add buttermilk and eggs.  Mix the mixture lightly with a fork.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar and combine the dry ingredients with the liquid mixture.  Mix  them with the fork until the batter just combined and it should have small to medium lumps.  Let the mixture rest for 5 to 10 minutes, it will bubble slightly.

2.  Heat the pan/griddle on medium for a few minutes.  Brush it with butter and pour about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of pancake batter.  Scatter the top with blueberries and flip it over when the pancake bubbles and is golden brown on the bottom (about 2 minutes per side).    Repeat with the remaining batter.

3.  To keep the pancakes warm, place them on a heat-proof plate in the oven at 175° F, or before serving put the pancakes in the toaster to heat and crisp them up.  Serve with maple syrup.

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Top the stack of pancakes with fresh blueberries and strawberries.  The sweetness of fresh picked strawberries can’t be compared to store bought.  It has been a treat for us, filling our little berry basket full of strawberries from our garden just about every other day.  As I was putting these strawberries together for a quick photo op, our dog Glory couldn’t resist them and took a few for herself.

Have a wonderful 4th of July!

recipe source: adapted from Martha Stewart Magazine, January 2002

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posted by: Kay