My mother was a good cook. She taught me how to follow a recipe, and to measure ingredients accurately. If it said to add 1 cup of something, you could count on that substance being up to the one-cup line and no higher. She had all the skills necessary for scratch baking – she just could not believe that she could do it right.
It was my spouse’s mom showed me that baking without mixes, from the simple ingredients you have at home, was just a question of following a recipe. Here is her pancake recipe. This makes light, yet substantial, pancakes. And they taste incredibly good.
1 heaping tablespoon Crisco
2 ½ cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
molasses to taste – 2 tablespoons or more
Melt the Crisco and put it in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk and beaten eggs, and mix well. Gently mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring only until combined. (There might still be lumps). Add molasses to taste. Bake on lightly greased griddle.
Recipes out of the Blond Box 