Peach and Walnut Buttermilk Pancakes

Sometimes you just want good old fashioned traditional food. When that happens to me, if it is not a craving for garlic bread, it will be for pancakes. Buttermilk pancakes, of course. With some fruit in them. Blueberries are divine, of course. But so are peaches and nectarines, both of which are in abundance this time of year here in Southern California. These pancakes just makes me think of camping with my parents in Maine. I don't know why, because that was blueberry pancakes. Wild blueberries, to be precise. But maybe it's the comfort of a great space, seriously good maple syrup, and family. Pancakes are just not something to be made for one. That's the beauty of them. Making pancakes always means there are people around to share your morning cup of coffee with.


Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 large peach, diced small
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Butter as needed
Maple Syrup


Directions
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the peaches and walnuts to this bowl and toss to coat. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry, stirring just enough to blend.

Heat a heavy pan over medium heat. Once the pan is warm enough that water simmers when splattered on the pan, melt 1/2 teaspoon of butter into the pan and spread to coat the surface. By the 1/4 cup full, pour the pancake batter onto the pan. I could do 2 at a time in my skillet. Once bubbles start to form in the center of the pancakes and the edges have solid rims, flip. (You might have to adjust the heat as you go, if the bottoms get to dark before bubbles form - every stove and pan combination is different.) Repeat until all the batter is used up (you can use less butter each time).

If I'm not going to eat them immediately (I'm cooking them all first and then serving the pancakes all at once) I heat the oven to 200 and put a plate inside that I place the pancakes on as the next round cooks.

Serve with maple syrup or a sprinkling of brown sugar.