Perfect Pancakes

Sorry for the dark photo-it was a one shot deal...

Sunday mornings.  They are a special time.  The errands of Saturday are done, the routine of Monday is still far away, and time seems more precious.  These are the mornings made for a lazy breakfast.  They are made for a breakfast to celebrate the easy nature of the morning, to gather around the table as a family, chow down on something warm and comforting and relish every minute.  They are the mornings for slow percolating coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice and for pancakes. 

There is something so ultimately decadent about warm fluffy pancake, slathered in butter, and drizzled with sweet syrup. When done correctly (and really how often have you had a truly bad pancake?) their edges are slightly crisp, the middle dense and as you swallow each bite you can literally feel them stick to your ribs-sustenance for the day ahead. 

Pancakes can be as easy or as hard to make as you want- a box stored in the cupboard, ready to add wet ingredients to, or a time honored, treasured recipe, that you know will yield perfect cakes.  I prefer recipes to mixes, I find that they often result in lighter, fluffier pancakes, more decadent and much more special than their boxed counterparts.  However- I say- if you're pressed for time on a Sunday morning then you deserve to use the mix.  However, if time allows, and decadence is on your mind- give these pancakes a go.  You won't be disappointed.

"Perfect Pancakes (obnoxiously stolen from The Pioneer Woman)

3 cups Plus 2 Tablespoons Cake Flour

1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Baking Powder
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 cups Milk
2 whole Large Eggs
3 teaspoons Vanilla
4 Tablespoons Butter
Extra Butter
Maple Or Pancake Syrup


Preparation Instructions
Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl.
Mix together milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring very gently until just combined.
Melt butter and add it to the batter, stirring gently to combine.
Cook on a greased skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown. Serve with an obscene amount of butter and warm syrup."

I did change this one slightly- I use a non stick skillet to cook pancakes on so I omit the extra butter.

The batter alone of these pancakes was impressive.  It formed into almost a mousse, with lots of height and airy-ness to it.  The finished product was just as light and airy.  These pancakes were impossibly fluffy and because they used more Vanilla than most I've seen they had a wonderful flavor as well.  These little devils absorbed butter and sopped up maple syrup making every bite a burst of heaven.  Next time you're craving pancakes- make these!