Auntie Leila's Better Buttermilk Baking Mix ~ 1.7.10

For a Christmas gift for Max's Godparents, we presented them with a big Breakfast basket- because who doesn't love breakfast?!? It was filled with 3 homemade goodies, a bottle of real maple syrup, a pancake pen and a cookbook.

Too bad I didn't take a photo of it, b/c it was lovely all wrapped up with a big bow! I love making baskets- it's something I certainly have a knack for and it may very well be genetic- my mother is an amazing basket builder and my Godmother had an incredible gift for filling a basket with all sorts of fun and useful trinkets.

The homemade gifts were easy and fun to whip up. I gave a jar of our favorite Best Ever Hot Cocoa Mix, a batch of Auntie Leila's Granola- which I've named Toasted Almond Granola (since that is how I flavored it), and a bag of Auntie Leila's Better Buttermilk Baking Mix (which I have printed out and the ingredients to make for way too long).

(by the way, Auntie Leila is not my aunt, but I wish she were- she has a lovely blog called Like Mother, Like Daughter. You'll glean so much from reading it)

The best part of making the better baking mix was that it makes a TON of MIX! Some to keep and some to give! Those are the best kind of recipes, you know.

Once you've mixed up your batch of Better Buttermilk Baking mix, you can make a whole host of delicious things to eat: Waffles, Scones, Biscuits, Pancakes... just to name the ones on the list!

I think to really appreciate this recipe, you should first go hear and read for yourself why making this will change your life. Okay, maybe that is a bit too dramatic, but it will help you save a step at breakfast time which in turn, will make you happier and less stressful and therefore, would change your life, right?

After you've read that post and you're convinced, gather your ingredients and maybe some friends and mix this up and have a pancake party! But don't forget the real maple syrup- you'll thank me for that. Yes, it's pricier but it's better, it's natural and it's oh so good. You can even buy it at Target! See how easy they make it for you?

Here are the ingredients you'll need:

 

10 cups unbleached flour (may use up to 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour)

1 cup white whole wheat flour (or just add another cup of white flour, making 11 cups)
1 cup oat flour (whiz regular oatmeal in food processor) or ½ cup oat bran
½ cup bran
¼ cup wheat germ (I've found this cheapest at Walmart or Target- it's almost $1.50 more at my grocery store!)
½ cup flax meal
1 1/2 tablespoons salt (that is not a TYPO)
1 tablespoon sugar (this helps with browning, but you can leave it out)
2 tablespoons baking soda
6 tablespoons baking powder
3 sticks (12 oz) butter - I recommend unsalted

(my notes are italicized)
but you'll need to go to the link for the Better Buttermilk Baking Mix to see what to do with it all and for the whole sheet of goodies that you can make with it, PLUS the granola recipe... PLUS so much more! You will not be disappointed. Leila does NOT disappoint! And don't be sad that I'm not posting it all here, Auntie Leila has done all the hard work already, so you should visit her google doc to get it for yourself.

You'll never buy that Bisquick again. I haven't for years...