Whole Living Daily

Are you guys familiar with Joy the Baker? If you're not, you're in for a real treat today. Why, you wonder? Well, Joy Wilson just happens to be one of my favorite food bloggers. Besides having a lovely voice, she has a fun approach to ingredients and is always coming up with unique (and kinda quirky) dishes on her blog.

Exciting news on her end: Her first cookbook was just published! So naturally she's been touring the country promoting and she recently made a stop in Brooklyn, where she was greeted with an overwhelming amount of fans, myself (and roommates included)! While the packed crowd feasted on baked goods and sipped local beer, she gushed her appreciation for all of her readers and did a mini Q&A before signing copies.

If you haven't picked up your own copy yet (what are you waiting for?), you can get a taste of her style with this exclusive pancake recipe she's sharing with Whole Living today. Enjoy!

single lady pancakes

makes 1 large or 3 small pancakes

I do things any single girl might do. I sleep in the middle of the bed and am selfish with my two favorite pillows. I take long showers because I don’t have to save hot water for anyone else. I make a small pot of coffee every morning and I wait until it’s just barely warm to drink. It’s just me at home. There’s no brushing my teeth with someone after watching Seinfeld reruns. There’s no ordering the steak and fries for two on date night. That’s totally okay because I can still whip up a tiny batch of pancakes and enjoy my singularity without a bowl of lonely leftover pancake batter to deal with. Single lady success—hallelujah!

¹⁄₃ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking powder

¹⁄₄ teaspoon baking soda

¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt

5 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil, plus additional for the griddle

Dash of pure vanilla extract

¹⁄₄ cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Optional (but highly recommended) additions:

1 tablespoon chocolate chips and 10 banana slices

2 tablespoons toasted pecans and 3 sliced strawberries

Small handful dried cranberries and chopped walnuts

¹⁄₄ cup fresh blueberries and zest from half an orange

Small handful of dried cherries, 1 tablespoon toasted almond slivers, and a dash of almond extract

1 tablespoon all-natural peanut butter, 10 banana slices, and a drizzle of honey

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together oil, vanilla, and buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine. The mixture will be thick. Fold in any of the optional additions you’d like.

Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle with 1 to 2 teaspoons oil.

If making one large pancake, pour all of the batter into the hot griddle and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. Cook over medium heat until bubbles form and pop on the surface of the batter. Flip. It’s okay if it doesn’t flip perfectly. It’s hard to do . . . ​and you’re the only one enjoying this pancake, right?

If making 3 small pancakes, pour 3 dollops of batter into the hot pan and cook just as you’d do for one large pancake. They’re a little easier to flip when smaller.

Cook until golden brown. Place on a plate and top with any extra toppings that make you happy. Maple syrup is nice, too. Pancakes are best served immediately. Enjoy with a good book and a hot cup of coffee.

From JOY THE BAKER by Joy Wilson. Copyright © 2012 Joy Wilson. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.