Daddy's Best™ Oatmeal Flaxseed Very-Berry Pancakes

My daughter, M, has identified a primary culinary talent for each member of our family: "Mommy's the best dinner maker. Daddy's the best breakfast maker. E's the best chocolate milk maker. And I'm the best cake decorator". She reminds us of these assignments several times a week.

I can do more than just breakfast; but I have to admit that it's a special talent of mine. This is one of my signature recipes, which I've proudly branded as "Daddy's Best".

These pancakes are rather dense and textured compared to the typical American buttermilk pancake or European crèpe. I use whole-wheat flour and oatmeal to add the texture and bump up the fiber (reducing the starch content somewhat). And I use Splenda® to reduce the carbs further. You can substitute sugar if you are afraid of man-made substances (but make sure you understand sugar's role in obesity and insulin resistance--nature is not always benign). Finally, the flaxseeds. I add them for a little more texture, and for the omega-3 fatty acids. They contribute only minimally to the flavor, so you can skip them if you want. Much of the flavor comes from the berry compote, which also adds a significant amount of vitamins, minerals, and other good stuff.

Be warned: these delicious pancakes, while full of nutrition, are not a "health-food". They still have plenty of carbs, and quite a bit of fat. I serve them up as the main course for my wife and kids, who aren't on restricted diets; but I limit myself to one or two, and have eggs on the side.

Pancake Ingredients (click any item for a metric conversion, courtesy of the Google Calculator)
Dry:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups oatmeal
4 tsp baking powder
3 packs of Splenda (or 6 tsp sugar)
a few dashes of salt
a handful of flaxseeds

Wet:
½ cup of half and half
1 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp olive oil

Pancake Instructions:
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a big bowl. Add the wet ingredients, and mix thoroughly with a firm whisk or a fork. Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes to soften the oatmeal. Meanwhile, you can pre-heat the griddle to 325ºF, and prepare the berry compote (see below). When it's all set, butter the griddle and scoop the batter onto it with a medium-sized serving spoon (mine holds about two tablespoons, which makes pancakes about 3 inches in diameter). They are ready to flip when the outside edges appear dry and solid. Cook for another three minutes or so, then serve, with a nice scoop of compote on top.

Berry Compote Instructions:
Mix 3 cups of your favorite berries (I like a blend of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries) in a microwave-safe bowl. You can use fresh or frozen. (If you use strawberries, slice them before putting them in the bowl.) Nuke'em until they are nice and hot--anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes depending on a large number of factors. Just mix check them (and stir them) every two or three minutes until they are hot and rather soft. When they are done, sweeten them to taste (I use four packets of Splenda), then mash them up real good and set them aside while you cook the pancakes.

Enjoy!

(A note about griddles. You need one if you aspire to greatness as a breakfast chef. The best way to eat pancakes or fried eggs is piping hot, fresh from the pan. That's tough to do for the whole family if you can only cook one or two at a time in a frying pan. You don't need anything fancy. The one I use was cheap, but does the job just fine.)