My grandson has given me a directive for his overnight visits: “You don’t ever have to ask what I want for breakfast, G-Lee. Just assume it will always be pancakes”). I love pancakes too but lacking his speedy metabolism, I don’t make them often.  One weekend morning when he wasn’t visiting, I woke up with the strongest craving but alas and alack, no pancake mix in the pantry. That’s when I remembered a homemade recipe I had written and buried somewhere on my laptop ages ago. These pancakes are light, fluffy, and taste so much better than any pancakes I’ve ever made from a mix or ordered in a diner. Trust me, it’s worth the few extra minutes to make them from scratch. This recipe makes just enough for two — or a very hungry you. BONUS: If you enjoy pancakes with fruit, check out daughter/coauthor Hayley’s whole wheat blueberry pancakes.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons salted butter
3/4 cup flour
1 -1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Toppings
butter
pancake syrup
jam
fruit

TOOLS
medium (10-inch) skillet
medium (3-quart) mixing bowl
measuring cups and spoons
4-ounce ladle
cooking spatula
baking spoon
platter, with cover

METHOD
1. Melt butter in skillet over low heat. Take the skillet off heat to allow butter to cool.  Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl.
2. Add milk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter to the flour mixture, then stir just until blended. [Batter will be lumpy.] Allow the batter to rest–about 5 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in the buttered skillet over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, pour in half a ladle of batter.
4. When edges are golden brown and bubbles form on surface of pancake, slide spatula fully underneath and flip pancake in one quick motion. Cook 2–3 minutes until bottom is golden brown.
5. Transfer pancake to platter, then cover to keep warm.
6. Pour another half-ladle of batter into skillet and repeat cooking process until no batter remains.
7. Serve with a pat of butter and syrup, jam, or fruit.

NOTES & TIPS
• Allowing the batter to rest after mixing gives the baking powder time to work its magic to create a fluffier pancake.
• After allowing the batter to rest, stir. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of milk and stir again.
• To test the oil to see if it’s hot enough:  In the right light, hot oil looks faintly iridescent; it “shimmers”. The surface also develops faint ripples. Don’t see it? Drop a tiny bit of batter into the skillet. If oil immediately froths up, it is hot enough.

READY IN
20 minutes

YIELD
4 – 5 pancakes