Give the gift of a great (and healthy) breakfast
By SARA MOULTON Associated Press November 20, 2012 5:02PM
In this image taken on Oct. 15, 2012, flaxseed pancake and waffle mix and healthy pancakes are shown in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Flaxseed Pancake and Waffle Mix
Start to finish: 10 minutes
Makes 4 cups of mix
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup flax meal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
Into a medium bowl, sift together all of the ingredients. Transfer the mix to a 1 quart glass bottle or canning jar and screw on the lid. Attach the recipe (below) with a ribbon.
Updated: December 22, 2012 6:02AM
As far as I’m concerned, the best holiday gift is one that’s handmade and edible. And if you can make it in big batches on a budget — and have it be healthy — even better.
That’s the thinking behind this delicious pancake and waffle mix. Face-to-face with a whiny child on a Sunday morning, too many home cooks reach for a box of pre-fab pancake mix. That’s a shame.
At their base, pancakes and waffles depend on a few key ingredients: flour, salt, sugar and leavener. If you swap in whole-wheat flour for at least some of the white flour, add a little flaxseed, slash some of the sugar, and top off the finished product with fresh fruit, you’re suddenly looking at a very respectable breakfast.
Using whole-wheat flour in the mix should not be terribly objectionable. And when you toss in some flaxseed, you really amp the recipe’s nutritional value.
Keep in mind that flaxseed isn’t properly digested unless it is ground. You can buy it pre-ground or grind it yourself in a spice grinder. After you open the package, keep it in the refrigerator or freezer; it tends to go rancid quickly.
At holiday time, you can measure the batch into pretty containers, attach a nice hand-written label and recipe with a ribbon, and consider it done. The deluxe version? Just add a little package of dried fruit or a tiny bottle of maple syrup.
Sara Moulton was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years, and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows. She currently stars in public television’s “Sara’s Weeknight Meals” and has written three cookbooks, including “Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family Dinners.”
