I am serious about the title of this entry. I have been searching for a pancake recipe that is hearty, not too sweet and the perfect combo of fluffy an dense for years. I made this recipe for my book club on a recent camping trip up Bass Creek. They confirmed my love of these cakes.

If you are like me and never have one ingredient in your house and are looking for alternatives, this is a great website that gives suggestions for ingredient substitutes. For example, I never stock buttermilk, but I can use 2/3 plain yogurt and 1/3 water and get the same result.

The secret to these irresistible johnnys is the cold butter cut right into the batter. My man adds more butter to his, but I prefer peanut butter and real maple syrup. Sometimes a touch of my favorite plain yogurt. I made them this morning and they were not very photogenic, so I wanted to take an action shot of Andy imbibing but he wasn’t feeling photogenic either. Harumph.

Makes 16 small pancakes:

1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup white flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2/3 stick (5 1/3 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten

Combine dry ingredients in a largish bowl. Add butter and cut into dry ingredients with a pasty cutter until it looks like sand with some chunks (I can never get it to all look like sand.) Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture and add the buttermilk and eggs. Stir until incorporated.

Heat a griddle over medium heat (you may have to grease surface although remember there is butter in the batter). Ladle the batter onto the surface to form 4 inch cakes. Once bubbles form on the top of the pancakes, flip ’em. Cook on the other side for about two minutes.

If you don’t want to use all the batter at once, it stores well in the fridge for up to three days.