Name: Better-Than-The-Box Pancake Mix
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups cake flour; 1 cup non-fat milk powder; 3/4 cup malted milk powder (see side bar); 1/3 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 tablespoon salt; 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , cut into 1/2 -inch pieces

Why This Recipe Works

All-purpose flour made for tough pancakes. Replacing half the all-purpose flour with cake flour yielded sturdy yet tender cakes. To give pancakes made from our Better-than-the-Box Pancake Mix complexity and depth, we added an unusual ingredient: malted milk powder. It imparted a sweet, nutty flavor that tasters loved. Tasters also preferred the flavor of butter to vegetable shortening. For higher-rising pancakes, we used fresh buttermilk instead of milk when mixing up the batter. The acid of the buttermilk reacted with the baking soda, causing the batter to bubble.

Instructions

Process all ingredients in food processor until no lumps remain and mixture is texture of wet sand, about 2 minutes. Freeze in airtight container for up to 2 months.TO MAKE 8 PANCAKES: Whisk 2 cups mix, 2 lightly beaten large eggs, and ½ cup buttermilk in large bowl until smooth. Pour ¼-cup portions of pancake batter onto lightly oiled large nonstick skillet or griddle and cook over medium-low heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter as desired. Serve. (If you don’t have buttermilk, make clabbered milk by whisking ½ tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice into ½ cup whole or low-fat milk and letting the mixture thicken for 10 minutes.)