Anal Retentive Pancakes

(Originally posted on Saturday, January 24, 2004 by Tim)

We've gone out for Mexican and for American food over the last few days so we haven't tried anything new at home. This recipe comes from a wonderful little hand printed book that Cathy's Mom made for her for Christmas a few years back. I suppose I should clarify that the basic recipe comes from Cat's Mom, all the anal retentive adaptations are a creation of my psyche. If you have stayed at our house, and we have made pancakes, this is it.

Pancakes
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbs canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
frozen fruit (we use wild blackberries that we pick here in the summer)

Turn on griddle or heat skillet over medium heat. I love our griddle. It takes up the space of two burners which we sorely need. Still, it's just trying to be the best griddle it can so I forgive it.

Mix dry ingredients. Beat the heck out of the egg in measuring cup you used for the flour. Add egg to dry ingredients. Measure out milk in same measuring cup (3 ingredients and only one dirty cup produced!). Add oil and milk and mix well with wisk or fork (you can use the same fork you used for the egg here for bonus points!).

Use a paper towel to wipe some oil over the griddle. Place 1/8 to 1/4 cup batter on griddle for each pancake. After you have a full griddle of pancakes, individually place 4 to 5 pieces of frozen fruit in each pancake. I'm sure you rolled your eyes there, but thats how I apply the fruit. Otherwise, I get half the pancakes with double fruit and half with no fruit. Plus, how can you get a perfectly even distribution of fruit on each pancake if you don't place each one? If you don't really care about fruit distribution, feel free to put the fruit in the batter. I won't care. Really, I won't!

Cook pancakes until tops look solid. Flip with spatula. Bottoms should be golden brown to brown depending on your taste. Cook a minute or so on other side until a golden brown color is achieved.

We serve these warm with pure, Vermont, maple syrup that my Grandmother sends us every year (thanks Grandma). The syrup is also very good in maple nut ice cream, but that's a different recipe.