Pancakes in The Patio

Tomorrow is Canada Day and my family usually gathers sometime during the long weekend for a tradition we call Pancakes in The Patio. As the title suggests, we get together and eat pancakes. On the patio. In fact, we make the pancakes on the patio. This involves many yards of orange electrical cord and a couple electric frying pans dug out from storage, but it’s fun and tasty and heralds the arrival of summer vacation. The odd maple key makes its way into the batter, but no one cares.

Mom makes thick buttermilk pancakes and my sister Robin makes a thinner, crisper cornmeal version. We toss blueberries into some batches, raspberries in others. Eaters can pile their plates high and top the freshly grilled offerings with butter and real maple syrup, or sour cream and berries. Or both. Scrambled eggs and bacon might make an appearance. A fruit salad sometimes shows up. We wash it all down with tea or coffee or juice. Whatever suits. There are no rules with Pancakes in The Patio.

Perhaps you have a casual tradition you’d like to share. In the meantime, here’s the cornmeal pancake recipe. Easy to make. Easy to cook. The only difficulty will be in keeping up with demand. And so I wish a happy Canada Day to all but my husband Andrew, to whom I wish a very merry Dominion Day.

Cornmeal Pancakes
Printable recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 9 tbsp oil
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients together to ensure even distribution of baking soda.
2. Beat wet ingredients together lightly.
3. Combine wet and dry and mix until smooth. Unlike other pancake recipes, you don’t want lumps, but don’t overmix.
4. Cook on lightly greased griddle.

Variations

• Add 1 cup fresh blueberries to batter.
• Replace cornmeal with additional flour.