A Guide to Weekend Pancakes

Why hello! I thought it would be fun to do a little feature on some of my favorite dishes to cook up. Sean and I do more cooking and baking on the weekends, especially when it comes to breakfast. I thought I'd give you a little taste on how to make some delicious weekend pancakes with berry topping. I made this guide as if you are a complete novice to pancakes, so if you already know the basics these are a no-brainer.

I like to make a small batch of pancakes with a single serving of fruit-that way I don't have a bunch of leftovers sitting around getting stale afterwords. I start by getting my fruit on the stove, that way it's warm and wonderful when my pancakes are finished!

I use frozen fruit because I think it works better for making a syrup. That way I can make a smaller or larger portion of it easily. 

Add more or less of these proportions according to your tastes, but for my single serve topping I use:

1 to 1 1/2 cups of berries

1-2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1-2 Tbsp water

 I start out with the berries in a medium saucepan, and then add about 2 Tablespoons brown sugar. The sugar helps the syrup to thicken up a bit as it boils and adds a bit of sweetness. It will work fine without the sugar too if you like it to be a bit more tart. 

I'm a really big fan of cinnamon, so I put it in everything. I would also love to try a tiny bit of cloves or nutmeg sometime for a more spicy treat!

Mix all the dry ingredients in your sauce pan and then add a bit of water. You only need about 1-2 Tablespoons because as the berries warm up they will release juice and condensation and you don't want the sauce too watery. When you have mixed it all together, put a lid on your pan and put it on the stove at right under medium heat.

While your berries start to warm up, it is a perfect time to begin making your pancakes! I have a pancake recipe that I just love. I found the original in a favorite cookbook and tweaked it to my preferences. I also cut the recipe in half so it makes just exactly three 6-inch pancakes, a perfect meal for one hungry person, or two to share! If you are serving more guests, it is super easy to double and quadruple this recipe. 

For my three 6-inch pancakes I use:

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk mixed with 1 Tbsp vinegar to make sour milk (when the vinegar mixes with the baking soda it will make your pancakes as light and fluffy as a kitten riding a unicorn)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp sugar

a pinch of salt

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

Don't forget the cinnamon! It takes these mediocre pancakes from normal to melt in your mouth awesomeness, and also complements the fruit topping oh so well. 

Stir like a madwoman! I have the fastest pancake arm in the Midwest I'll have you know.  It's a gift. 

Lift the fork out of the batter to check consistency. If it is too thick, your pancakes will be heavy, so add a bit more milk if you need to.

I use a nonstick frying pan for my pancakes. I spray it with a tiny bit of olive oil, but only for the first pancake. There is oil in the batter, so the pancakes come off very cleanly on their own. Preheat your pan to about medium heat. You'll have to experiment with your stove, but medium is perfect on mine so the pancakes are just right. When you feel your pan getting warm, pour on your first bit of batter. I pour quite a bit for my six inch pancakes, but obviously if you want them smaller, you'll just have more cute pancakes! You'll know that it is ready to flip when bubbles begin to form on the top (1-2 minutes).

 Cook about 1-2 minutes on the opposite side as well. When you push down on the middle of your pancake and it springs back up, you know it is done. Mmmmm, doesn't that smell like heaven?

While your pancakes are frying, make sure to be checking on your fruit also. As it warms up the fruit will begin to soften and release its juices. I like my berries crushed, so I take a fork and smash mine as they cook. Make sure if you're using a nonstick pan you use a rubber or plastic utensil. I've made that mistake one too many times!

 You'll want your berries to simmer on a low boil while you cook your pancakes. If they seem too watery for your taste, leave the cover off of them while they boil on medium low heat-watch for splatters though! The longer the syrup boils the thicker it will get because of the sugar.  Stir often while cooking.

About this time you should have three perfectly made pancakes. Arrange like so:

...And pour on your fruit topping! It really is the perfect Saturday morning treat. I don't treat myself to it very often, but once in a while it is my favorite thing to indulge in. Make sure to add your sweetest trimmings too-chocolate chips are always wonderful, or some sliced almonds and pecans. Ok, my mouth is watering already...:)

Enjoy my darlings! If you're a pancake fanatic like I am (I even have an entire cookbook of various griddle cakes) then you are probably running to your stove right about now to get started :)

God Bless!

KJA

Genesis 1:29

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.