Pancakes and Pretty Things

Some pretty things for a Saturday afternoon during a warm spell in January:

gold flecked macaron cookies

pink gerbera daisies

brioche à tête rolls, looking like little Russian dolls. Or maybe birds on a wire.

my favorite new pie dishes, from Anthropologie

miniature brioche beehive, covered with torched french meringue and marzipan bees

And as it's Saturday, I thought you might like a nice pancake recipe. Much easier to make than pains au chocolat, and perhaps just as delicious.



Saturday Pancakes
Adapted from The Cookworks

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• chocolate chips, fresh blueberries, sliced strawberries or sliced bananas

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the wet team: eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter.

Add the wet team to the dry team, and stir gently with a whisk or wooden spoon, just until the batter comes together. The batter will look lumpy and under mixed - this is good. Over mixed batter makes flat, heavy pancakes.

Heat some butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, spoon 1/2 cup batter into the skillet, and sprinkle a few chocolate chips, blueberries, or bananas on top. Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes, until little bubbles begin to form on the surface. Flip the pancake and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.

Serve with extra butter and maple syrup. And maybe some bacon.

Makes about 12 pancakes.

PANCAKE?
by Shel Siverstein

Who wants a pancake,
Sweet and piping hot?
Good little Grace looks up and says,
"I'll take the one on top."
Who else wants a pancake,
Fresh off the griddle?
Terrible Theresa smiles and says,
"I'll take the one in the middle."