I make pancakes often and these are the best I’ve ever had. I did make the following changes: whole wheat flour instead of white, buttermilk instead of milk, a bit of lemon juice as well as zest, and a dash of nutmeg.

Makes 6 5 inch pancakes – may need to double.

You might need to buy:
  • milk
  • firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • all-purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • maple syrup as an accompaniment
  • freshly grated lemon zest
  • large egg

Makes about 18 pancakes

You might need to buy:
  • unsalted butter
  • vanilla extract
  • large eggs
  • sour cream
  • buttermilk
  • baking soda
  • baking powder
  • sugar
  • all purpose flour
  • Blueberry Compote:
  • sugar
  • water

Flax seed Sold at natural foods stores and some supermarkets. Makes 12 pancakes.

You might need to buy:
  • all purpose flour
  • whole wheat flour
  • flaxseed meal*
  • finely chopped walnuts
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • pure maple syrup
  • large egg
  • Additional pure maple syrup

Cooks’ note: Dry ingredients can be whisked together and stored in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature up to 2 weeks. Shake or stir before using.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • For pancakes
  • whole-wheat flour
  • cornmeal
  • sugar
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • water
  • large eggs
  • vegetable oil plus additional for brushing griddle
  • For syrup
  • pure maple syrup

Makes 15 4-inch pancakes

You might need to buy:
  • ground walnuts
  • ripe large banana
  • vanilla
  • large eggs
  • well-shaken buttermilk
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • sugar
  • all-purpose flour
  • For pancakes
  • finely grated fresh orange zest
  • fresh orange juice
  • For orange butter
  • Accompaniment: maple syrup

Cooking notes: Be certain to add the chocolate chunks while the cakes are still quite hot from the oven otherwise the crust will form and you will damage the appearance. The mayonnaise is here to add moisture to the cake. You could omit it with out adjusting the recipe but it is has an amazing effect. Serve this as a plated dessert by removing them from the paper and adding warm bananas.

You might need to buy:
  • cornstarch
  • sugar
  • mayonnaise
  • heavy cream
  • unsalted butter
  • ground cinnamon
  • gray salt
You might need to buy:
  • imitation coconut extract
  • prepared lemon curd
  • yellow food coloring
  • vegetable oil
  • eggs
  • coconut milk
  • sweetened shredded coconut
You might need to buy:
  • granulated sugar
  • pure vanilla extract
  • grated key lime zest
  • all-purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • kosher salt
  • buttermilk
  • For the Frosting:
  • pure vanilla extract
  • sour cream
You might need to buy:
  • eggs
  • canola or vegetable oil
  • chocolate milk
  • heavy cream
You might need to buy:
  • water
  • sugar
  • vegetable oil
  • large eggs
  • vanilla extract
  • all-purpose flour
  • baking soda
  • fine sea salt
  • baking powder
  • Ganache:
  • heavy whipping cream
  • vanilla extract