Soda Pancakes

This recipe is my own invention, and was the result of ideas planted by some friends on Weight Watchers… they make a box cake by simply mixing it with a diet soda instead of adding eggs & oil.  So I thought "hmmm, I wonder if that could be done for pancakes?" and I developed this recipe.  Since then I've gone a bit pancake crazy (as you'll see as I continue to post), but since these were my first these will be the ones I start with.  These are very basic, are free of animal products (I sense my Vegan friends smiling), and can be used as a basis for many pancake experiments.  The following makes 3-4 breakfast sized servings (depending on the size of the appetites).

Jeff ate the pretty ones before I got a pic :)

Ingredients:
  8 oz (by weight) all purpose flour
  2 Tbl sugar
  2 tsp baking powder
  1 tsp salt
  Sparkling water (about 8 oz or so - see instructions)


Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, slowly wisk in soda until batter is pancake consistency. Prep non-stick griddle (spray very lightly with oil if needed), heat on Medium until a drop of batter makes a light sizzling sound - then its ready.  Flip cakes when 90% of bubbles on first side have burst, leave cakes on only a minute past that point. If cakes are too dark reduce heat, if too light increase heat.


Top with topping of choice… I typically use fresh fruit or fruit-only preserves, though occasionally I'll add syrup… you know what you like :)


Variations: you can do all sorts of things with these…
Two variations I've posted are: Banana Spice Pancakes, and Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes.