Cooking with Grandpa: Whole Wheat Pancakes

Since I didn't work until 11am on Father's Day, Annalyn and I decided to make pancakes for breakfast.  I figured it was only fitting that we use one of Grandpa Eddie's recipes and since Michael doesn't share my affinity for buckwheat, we opted for the whole wheat pancakes instead.  They were a perfect mix of fluffy, dense, filling, and delicious!  Here's how Mama and her Peanut make them:

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients: (makes 12-15 pancakes)

- 1 c. whole wheat flour

- 1 c. flour

- 2 T. sugar

- 1 T. baking powder

- 1 t. salt

- 1/2 t. baking soda

- 2 c. milk

- 1/4 c. oil

- 2 eggs

Cooking with Grandpa: Honey Wheat Bread

Over Michael's fall break, we finally had some extra time to try another of Grandpa Eddie's recipe.  This time, we decided to try his honey wheat bread.  Along with this Russian black bread, Grandpa almost always had loaves of this honey wheat bread frozen to distribute to everyone at holidays. He also made it into rolls and baked fresh for family dinners. It brings back great memories and tastes amazing. Making our own bread always makes us wonder why we ever bother to buy it. Here's how Grandpa made it:

Honey Wheat Bread

Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 c. water
- 1/4 c. oil
- 1/2 c. honey
- 2 pkg. yeast
- 3 c. all-purpose flour
- 3 - 3 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
- 2 t. salt
- 1 T. sugar
- 1 egg

Directions:

1.  Heat first 3 ingredients to 120-130 degrees F.  Add to other ingredients except 1 c. all purpose flour and whole wheat flour.


2.  Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, then stir in whole wheat flour to form stiff dough.


3.  Knead about 5 minutes, adding all purpose flour as needed. Dough should be smooth and elastic.


4.  Place in greased bowl, let rise until doubled, 45-60 min.  Punch down, divide into two loaves, place in greased 8x4 pans.


5.  Let rise until doubled, 45-60 min.  Bake at 350 degrees F, 35-45 min.  Loaves should be deep golden brown and sound hollow when lightly tapped.  Brush with butter if desired.

printable recipe

Cooking with Grandpa: Russian Black Bread

As promised, I'm finally getting to the point in my pregnancy where I'm ready to cook/eat again!  And just in time for the new year!  This is the start of a new series I'll be working through (probably over many months) called "Cooking with Grandpa."  This past summer, Michael's dad lent me a couple of very special recipe boxes and asked if I would compile them into a little cookbook.  The first is a huge index card-sized box plum full of recipe cards, magazine clippings, handwritten notes from friends, etc. that belonged to his mother (Michael's grandma).  I admittedly raided this box years ago on a trip to visit Grandpa and rewrote numerous of these treasures (including one of our favorites - these crescent sausage wraps).  It's also how I started a similar box of my own.

The second box was even more precious to my father-in-law, as this was Grandpa's very own recipe box that he started after Grandma passed away.  It contains his most beloved recipes (mostly breads and other baked goods - Eddie men are amazing bakers), handwritten in Grandpa's neat printing and speckled with ingredients from abundant use.  Rick thought it was so neat that his dad took the time to make and use a recipe box of his own.  I've already done a post on Grandpa's buckwheat pancakes which are one of my favorites that he made me, but to officially kick off the series, I could think of no better recipe than this Russian black bread.  Grandpa made big round loaves of this bread every year and froze them (along with a honey wheat bread) and gave us all a loaf at Christmas time.  It's a super heavy, super dense, very flavorful bread made with molasses, rye flour, chocolate, and coffee, to name a few.  It's not a sweet bread, and the flavors I associate most with it are the rye and fennel.  Grandpa taught us to toast it and spread a little cream cheese on top, which I must say, is perfect.  My bread turned out a little lighter in color than Grandpa's, so we wonder if he had tweaked the recipe a bit over the years.  It does taste like his did, though, and to me, that's what counts!  Here's how Mama (using Grandpa's recipe) makes it:

Grandpa's Russian Black Bread

Ingredients:
(makes two large round loaves or 24 rolls - I actually made 3 smaller loaves so I had more to share)
- 2 1/2 c. water
- 1/2 c. molasses
- 1/4 c. oil
- 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
- 1 T. sugar
- 1 T. instant coffee
- 3 t. salt
- 2 t. onion powder
- 1 T. crushed fennel (we ended up crushing our own)
- 2 pkg yeast
- 1 c. ground bran
- 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 4 c. rye flour

Grandpa Eddie's Buckwheat Pancakes

Ok, so technically, this is Betty's recipe, but to us, it's Michael's Grandpa Eddie's pancakes.  Grandpa first made these for us over the holidays last year when we went to up Toledo to work on Annalyn's cradle.  Michael & Grandpa made this beautiful oak cradle for her.  Michael even drew up the design himself and they hand-picked the wood. 

While tagging along, I hand-picked this piece of wood and Michael finished the edges so I could use it as a cutting board.  But back to pancakes...

These pancakes are not light and airy.  These are hearty, filling pancakes made with buckwheat and whole wheat flour.  In my opinion, they are perfect.  Two pancakes and I am full for hours.  My kind of breakfast!  Here's how Grandpa makes it:

Grandpa's handwritten recipe

Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients:

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 c. buckwheat flour

- 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

- 1 c. milk

- 1 T. sugar

- 2 T. oil

- 1/2 t. salt

- 3 t. baking powder

- wheat germ or wheat bran, optional, may be sprinkled on uncooked side