Light and Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

 There is absolutely nothing like waking up to a hot fluffy stack of pancakes. Pancakes are the ultimate breakfast comfort food and I love whipping up a batch on the weekends and savoring the butter melting on top and the maple syrup dripping down the sides. They are very easy to prepare and a great way to surprise your family in the morning:-)

My favorite way to eat pancakes is with syrup, but they are delicious topped with a fruit compote like cinnamon apples

Pancakes always make me feel like I am eating breakfast for dessert:-)

A great maple syrup really enhances the taste of pancakes

They are so good that you can't help but be greedy

Ingredients 

3/4 cup buttermilk 

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Nonstick cooking pray

(Makes 8 pancakes, but recipe can be doubled)

Directions:

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Mix the egg, buttermilk and vanilla together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until most of the lumps are gone (a few lumps are ok)

Heat the griddle or a large frying pan on medium heat and coat with the cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup batter when and cook until bubbles appear on pancakes and then flip to other side and cook until golden brown.

Bon Appetit!

Cinnamelt Sticky Bun Pancakes

I love a good cinnamon roll and man oh man do I love pecan sticky buns. These pancakes are the best of both worlds, a blanket of cinnamon and brown sugar, caramelized pecans and vanilla cream cheese syrup to top it off. Sounds like cinnamon roll sticky bun heaven. And it is! These are Saturday or Sunday Morning pancakes because they need to be savored and enjoyed.

They are as ridiculously good as they look

Go on the front porch and tease your neighbors. "na na na na na, I got some pancakes"

There is just something about cinnamon, and brown sugar .
This makes me feel like I am eating one of those scrumptious cinnabon cinnamon rolls and a big caramelly sticky bun:-) Is Caramelly a word? LOL

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 

Cinnamon Filling Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg  

Caramelized Pecans

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup pecans
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Cream Cheese Syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, just until batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).
2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour filling into a pastry bag, or use a squeeze bottle with a small tip. Set the mixture aside. (make sure it s not too runny)
3. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl- heat butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; set aside. Make sure you add sugar a little add a time to avoid lumps
4. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray.
5. Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. When pancake has started to cook a little, swirl in the cinnamon filling. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more.
6. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.
7. When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pancake and top with caramelized pecans.

 Bon Appetit!

Blueberry Vanilla Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup

I absolutely love blueberry muffins and I recently fell in love with blueberry pancakes. I buy lots of fresh fruit from farmers markets and I could not wait to create something tasty with fresh berries. These pancakes are fluffy and bursting with fresh blueberries and a hint of vanilla. 

The homemade blueberry maple syrup makes these pancakes extra special, but they are also tasty with a simple maple butter syrup. Perfect for leisurely morning when you have time to really enjoy them. This makes around 8 servings, so spoil your family with these, or invite a few friends over:-)

These are berry berry good...

Doesn't this look like a great breakfast?

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large egg 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup blueberries

Servings: 8-10 6 inch pancakes

Directions

Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl, make a well in the center.  In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients until just moistened. Gently fold in blueberries.

Pour  1/4 cup pancake batter onto hot greased griddle or skillet on medium heat. Cook pancakes until tops are filled with bubbles and edges look cooked.  (about 1-2 minutes per side) flip and cook other side. Serve with Blueberry Maple Syrup or Maple Butter Syrup ( both recipes follow)

Maple Blueberry Syrup

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup Grade B maple syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

1 stick cinnamon 

In a medium saucepan, add blueberries, syrup, sugar and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 15 minutes. Strain and serve warm over pancakes.

Maple Butter Syrup

1 cup maple syrup

1 stick butter cut into cubes

Directions

Heat maple syrup and whisk in a few cubes at a time until all the butter is incorporated.  Serve warm over pancakes. This syrup will keep for a couple of months in the refrigerator. To use leftovers, warm slightly or sit out and let come to room temperature. Do not boil.

um um good...

The Griddle Cafe (LV's LA)

If you live in Los Angeles, you might know about the Griddle Cafe. If you don't live in LA, my condolences to you.  Pancakes the size of flying saucers, Cheesecake masquerading as French Toast.  This is no ordinary breakfast experience. The owner is known as the Willy Wonka of breakfast and you will have a breakfast that gives you a high you wont want to come down from. Back in the day, I worked on the Sunset Strip right down the street from the Griddle Cafe and quickly became acquainted with the breakfast spot that must have the sugar plum fairy working in the kitchen.

So griddle me this? Can you imagine a menu with pages of breakfast descriptions that make you swoon, shift in your seat and stare in lustful anticipation? This is straight food porn folks. Food that looks and sounds so sinfully decadent that its almost pornographic. Expect to stare at the menu unable to make an adult decision.

And then you will want to make out with your breakfast in a dark corner

 Yellow Brick Road, Butterscotch pancakes. Stop playin...

Red Velvet pancakes. Say What?

 Addicted to Noisella, Nutella French Toast. (Oh no they didn't)

 Scotch on the Rocks with pecans, coconut and butterscotch... Damn, c'mere

So many choices. French toast that tastes like cheesecake,  oh the creme de la creme. Yes, the dishes have cool stage names names like "Yellow Brick Road" Butterscotch pancakes with walnuts, caramel and streusel and the "Creme de la Creme" graham cracker crusted french toast with cheesecake topping.

When my creme de la creme arrived at our table. I was speechless. French toast coated in a brown sugary graham cracker coating with a generous helping of sweet cheesecake topping. And then there was the Saturday Morning Fever; a huge stack of Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua soaked pancakes with a huge mound of whipped cream and then it was recess time with a stack of cinnamon streusel topped pancakes, which was like having pancakes and coffeecake all in one. S-WEET! This is the stuff of dreams, especially if yours are made of sugar like mine:-)

Saturday Morning Fever: Baileys Irish Cream and Kahlua Pancakes

look at that whipped cream...

Recess Time: Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

If you come here don't even think you will finish your breakfast. You probably shouldn't even try. It will be like man against food and the pancakes will win. They will taunt you on the way out and you will be in the car all day dreaming about them. Ever had a breakfast like that? You need to. Its good for you. Pancakes bigger than your plate. Yes Please!

The nice jolt of caffeine from your personal coffee press is the maple syrup on top:-) when you order coffee, you get a coffee press with some great and very STRONG coffee. Sugar and STRONG coffee. Watch out World!

The best part of waking up is coffee in my cup:-)

Breakfast potatoes and scrambled eggs to balance out the sweet treats. Would y'all believe they were jealous of the pancakes? They felt like they got dressed and layed on the plate for nothing since the pancakes were getting so much attention. And the potatoes got mad that I barely noticed the onion and bell peppers they were wearing, but were cool now.

And then my sweet dream got sweeter when something cold, sweet and citrusy begged for my attention.

The OJ got my full attention and of course there is nothing like freshly squeezed orange juice, strong coffee and the musical sounds of the lip smacking you try to hide, but the pancakes are so good you can't help it. So why try? Come very hungry and expect to waddle back to your car too full for lunch or dinner. In fact, have someone roll you back to your car in a shopping cart.

The atmosphere is loud, crowded and sprinkled with lots of  Hipster and Hollywood types and good ol regular folk ready for a breakfast fix. It is crowded here all the time and if you don't arrive before 9:00 in the morning, expect to wait in a long line. Even during the week this place is packed.

It is always great to come with a small group so that you can stick your fork on more plates.  The seating is cozy, so expect to be in close proximity to your neighbors and most tables seat about four, so if your group is bigger, you may have to go with adjacent tables. But there are a couple of large booths available if you are able to get one. Crowded and loud for sure, but definitely a great breakfast. 

There are so many great treats to try, but one of my absolute favorites is the Recess Time pancakes. Be sure to try them and try the French toast on the secret menu. (you can only order them with the secret password...shhhh)

The Griddle Cafe

7916 Sunset Blvd

Hollywood, CA 90046

Mon-Fri 7am-4pm

Sat and Sun 8am-4pm