I’ve always loved making pancakes for my son. When he was little, his best friend Dean used to stay with us for the weekend sometimes and Matty and Dean went crazy eating stacks of mini pancakes at every meal. Matty actually calls them “mancakes” now because he’s no longer a kid and he can polish off a huge stack of them all by himself. His preference hasn’t changed though– chocolate chips inside and without syrup on top. (Back in the day, Dean was all about the syrup.)
When I was a kid, my Dad made pancakes on Sundays. I liked them big and fluffy, but my Mom liked them thin and crispy with bananas on top. I have no idea how my dad worked his griddle magic, but he satisfied all of our pancake preferences in one batch.
My favorite pancakes in New York City and possibly the world, are at Clinton Street Baking Company (no offense, Daddy). That restaurant made Jen’s Little Black Book years ago and I’m still a fan. Not only are their pancakes delicious, but their maple butter is insanely addictive. So I’ve used their base technique of half butter/half syrup to create a breakfast topping all my own.
JEN’S MAPLE BUTTERNUT TOPPING I start with equal parts butter and maple syrup in a saucepan on low heat. I add orange zest, a bit of orange juice, and slivered pecans. I whisk the mixture together in the pan until it’s well combined and the nuts are toasty. Then I transfer the buttery liquid gold into a gravy boat for easy pouring and spoon access to extra nuts. I promise you could see God after just one bite.
jenslittleblackbook.com 