German Pancakes

From the LeMons

As with German Chocolate Cake, these have very little to do with Germany. I have never seen these in Europe, but somehow the name sticks. Anyway, this is a great breakfast if you want something hot and sweet and feeds a lot of people, but without having to stand in front of a griddle or waffle iron all morning. You literally just whip it all together, put it in the oven and by the time everyone gets to the table, it's ready to go.

Serves 6

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (about 200 C). Mix the eggs, milk, flour and salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 13x9 inch (about 23x33 cm) baking dish. Pour in the batter and bake, uncovered for 20 minutes.

The dish will puff up, like this:

But it deflates pretty quick, so serve immediately. Delicious with syrup or jam or whipped cream, or with some simple powdered sugar.

Ricotta Pancakes

From Sparkling Ink

Whenever Ben goes out of town, I have breakfast for dinner. He hates breakfast food and it happens to be my favorite meal of the day. So I indulge myself whenever he isn't around. This time I tried out a recipe I spotted on one of my most favorite food blogs: Sparkling Ink. Her pictures there are always inspiring me to cook more!

Anyway, it was a nice twist to the classic pancake and one I hope to make again soon.

9 oz (250 g) ricotta cheese

2/3 cup milk

2 eggs, separated

3 1/2 ounces (100 g) flour

1 tsp baking powder

oil or butter for the pan

Separate egg yolks and whites. Mix together ricotta, milk and egg yolks. Whisk flour and baking powder together and combine with wet cheese mixture. Then gently fold in the egg whites until just combine. Spoon a dollop of batter onto a large skillet and cook both sides of the pancake until golden.

Serve warm with syrup, jam, fruit or whipped cream. For breakfast or dinner :)

Pesto Omelette

Adding pesto to your omelette adds a huge boost of flavor and a little variety to an easy breakfast (or dinner).

Serves 2

1 tsp butter or oil

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp pesto

1 handful spinach leaves

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup gouda or other cheese, grated

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Heat a small (about 7 inches or 18 cm) frying pan on the stove on medium, melt butter. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Mix in milk, pesto and salt and pepper. Once the frying pan is hot, pour the egg mixture, sprinkle on the spinach leaves and cheese and let it cook. Once the center of the omelette is starting to set, lift the corner of the omelette and gently fold it in half. Let it rest for about 30 seconds or so and then slip it off the pan and onto a plate. Serve immediately.

Lettu (Finnish Crepes)

This is what Ben's Finnish grandma would make for breakfast sometimes. And though Ben usually is not a breakfast person, he does love Lettu.

Traditional Finnish Crepes are usually small (about 8 cm diameter) , and although they are a little thicker than regular French crepes, they are much thinner than a pancake.

Serves 4

4 cups milk

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

2 cups (400 ml) flour

8 Tbsp (100 grams) butter, melted + butter for cooking

Whisk the eggs, salt and milk together. Slowly add the flour a little at a time, and once it is mixed, add in the melted butter. Cover the batter and let it stand for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat a frying pan until very hot. Generously butter the pan and pour the first batch of crepe batter in the rounds. You may have to tilt the pan around to get even coverage on the bottom of the pan. Fry until the bubbles on the batter surface begin to set and flip the crepes over.

Fry the crepes until they are golden, remove and continue frying with the rest of the batter. You may have to add more butter to prevent sticking.

Serve with jam, fresh berries or fruit, whipped cream, or syrup.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

I love oatmeal. It is so filling and there are so many ways it can be prepared. This is my all-time favorite way, full of flavor and so good for you.

1/2 cup 1 minute quick oats
1 grated apple
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
hot water
splash of milk

Mix together the oats, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Then grate the apple (skin on) and add that to the mixture. Add enough hot water to suit your oatmeal thickening preference. Add a splash of milk on top (optional)

calorie count: about 260 (300 if you add milk)

Whole Wheat Pancakes

adapted from Make Healthy Meals

I love pancakes. They remind be of Saturday mornings in the summer when my dad would come in from mowing the lawn, turn on oldies music and make a special breakfast for all of us kids. We would sleepily stumble down the stairs, lured in by the good smells and music.
In trying to be at least a little bit healthier, I have been experimenting with different whole wheat/oat pancakes and these have been the best recipe thus far.

Makes about 8 medium pancakes (serves 2)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp oil

Combine dry ingredients and mix well. Then add in the wet ingredients one at a time, stirring after each addition. Heat a skillet to medium, add a little bit of oil or Pam and pour about 1/2 cup of batter on to the surface. Once bubbles appear on the surface, check the bottom of the pancake. If it looks lightly browned, flip it over and cook the other side.

Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal

Just like Elvis, I have always been a fan of peanut butter and banana sandwiches. It is such an ingenious combination, and it makes an easy transition into oatmeal. This is a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast that will keep you going until lunch.


1/2 cup quick 1- min cooking oats
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
a sprinkle of chili powder (slightly less than 1/8 tsp)
a sprinkle of salt
1 Tbsp peanut butter
boiling water (at least 1-2 cups)
1/8 tsp vanilla
1 medium mashed banana

Boil water on the stove. In a bowl, whisk together oats, sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, and salt. Add the peanut butter in the center, but do not stir.
When the water boils, add water to oats mixture a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Stir until peanut butter melts, then add vanilla and mashed banana.

Calorie count: approx 400

Raspberry Chocolate Muffins

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but I rediscovered it a few weeks ago and had to try it out. A nice combination of berry tart and chocolate, they didn't last long enough to see the next morning. Always a good sign.


3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 400. Mix together oil and sugar. Add in eggs and beat well, then add milk. Sift together dry ingredients, and add it slowly to the wet mixture until just combined. Gently fold in berries and chocolate, reserving some to sprinkle on the top. Pour a spoonful into prepared into muffin tin and sprinkle chocolate and a few berries on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes and let cool before serving.

The Ultimate Healthy Muffin.

originally from allrecipes

This is my go-to recipe for healthier muffins. I love it because it is so flexible and pretty healthy (about 100-130 calories each). Also it's made ingredients so I always have on hand, so they are easy to whip up and seriously good.

1 1/2 cups wheat bran or bran flakes cereal

1 cup milk

1/2 cup applesauce or 1/2 cup yogurt or 1 mashed banana

1 egg

2/3 cup brown sugar or 1/2 cup honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup white flour or 1/2 cup ground oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup berries, or 1 grated apple/pear, or raisins/cranberries... whatever you have on hand.

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a muffin tin (paper cups may stick to the whole wheat...) and set aside. Mix wheat bran and milk and let stand for 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine applesauce, egg, brown sugar, vanilla. Then add in bran/milk mix. Sift together flours, spices and baking soda/baking powder and slowly stir dry ingredients into wet mixture. Then gently fold in berries. Fill muffin tin 2/3 full and bake 15-20 minutes. They are done when you can gently tap the tops and they spring back.

Maailman paras pannukakku (World's Best Pancake)

-or-
Finnish Pancakes

from Mandi

Although these pancakes could be eaten for breakfast in America, they are sweet enough for dessert. They come out very soft and taste great with jam!


1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups milk
3 eggs
4 Tbsp butter

Preheat the oven to 375. Begin by combining all dry ingredients. Then slowly add the milk, being sure to mix it well. Then add the eggs. On a stove, heat up the butter until it is melted and pour it on top. The mixture will be VERY runny, but that is ok.
To bake, lay baking paper on the bottom of a broiler pan until it is completely covered and pour the batter in. The liquid should be 1/2 inch or less thick. Carefully put the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The top will turn a dark brown, the pancake should be removed just before burning. Serve warm.