Best pancakes

Serves: 6

Total time: 25 minutes
Additional time: Makes: about 12 medium pancakes

For an extra-special breakfast, try adding any of the following ingredients to your favorite pancake batter. – Sliced bananas – Sliced peaches or pears and ground cardamom – Apples, sliced and sauteed in butter, with ground cinnamon – Fresh raspberries or blackberries – Fresh sliced strawberies or wild strawberries – Poppyseeds and lemon zest – Shredded sweetened dried coconut – Dried cherries and raisins plumped in fruit juice – Chocolate chips – Chopped toasted walnuts, pecans, or granola

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whip in eggs and milk. Mix in melted butter. Allow batter to rest at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cook pancakes on a hot greased griddle or a large non-stick frying pan.
It is time to flip pancake when the batter surface is covered with little breaking bubbles. Serve with real amber maple syrup.

Blueberry pancakes:
Sprinkle blueberries over the batter immediately after pouring it on the griddle or pan.
Sautéed pears or apples:
Peel, core and thinly slice 2 pears or 2 apples. Melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add fruit, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Sauté until fruit is soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. If using apples, sprinkle with cinnamon. The fruit may be mixed in the pancake batter or serve warm as topping.

Other fruit can be added to batter immediately after it is poured on the griddle: wild strawberries, raspberries, sliced bananas, toasted nuts, granola or raisins plumped in fruit juice.
Luscious toppings:
- cranberries: Place 1 cup whole cranberries and 1 cup maple syrup in a medium saucepan. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes to allow cranberries to pop. Serve warm.

.- honey and spice: Warm 1 cup honey, 4 star anise, and 4 cinnamon sticks in small saucepan over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Use warm over pancakes. The mixture keeps up to a week in an airtight container.