Breakfast Club : Buttermilk Pancakes with Maple Syrup

We tend to be very lazy creatures at the weekend - if we've nothing special to do, then we tend to try to have a lie on, have a late breakfast and skip lunch.  When I say "we", I mean that yours truly makes the breakfast as The Hubs can't cook. This morning I woke up with a longing for pancakes, which means I probably fell asleep watching The Food Channel last night...  They're my favourite of all brunch dishes, especially with pancetta and maple syrup because I absolutely love the combination of sweet and salty together.  Pancetta strips are preferable, but today all we had was cubetti which tasted just as delicious.  We also have some wonderful real Canadian maple syrup thanks to lovely relatives who visit us laden with cans regularly - thanks Valerie & Charlie!

Don't be afraid of making pancakes - let the batter sit for 5 minutes before you start to cook it : the thicker it is, the fluffier the pancake will be.  Don't stack them in the oven because they'll get soggy - lay them flat on a baking sheet instead to keep warm, and eat them as soon as you possibly can.  Don't forget to be generous with the syrup...

Buttermilk Pancakes with Maple Syrup

350ml Buttermilk (shake the carton well before pouring)
1 Egg
50g melted Butter
125g Plain Flour
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt

Put the buttermilk, egg & butter into a large bowl & whisk well.

Put all the dry ingredients into a separate bowl, mix and add to the buttermilk in two batches, whisking well to make sure there's no hidden pockets of flour.

Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes before you use it, to allow it to thicken up a bit more.

Wipe a heavy non-stick frying pan with a drop of vegetable - not olive, it burns too quickly- oil and heat gently.  Pour about 3 tbsp of batter into the pan (I use a 1/4 cup measure as it's the perfect size) and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.  The pancakes are ready to turn when there's lots of air bubbles on the top and the edges are dry.  Flip them quickly with a spatula and cook on the other side until golden.

Keep warm in a low oven while you make the rest of the pancakes, or simply eat as you go!  We had ours with pancetta, sausage and lots of syrup but you could add berries to your batter and serve with creme fraiche or whipped cream.  It's a very adaptable recipe, so add whatever makes you happy...