Pancakes for Marit

My Aunt Marit is pretty chill.

Except for the fact that she likes to live in countries with names I can't pronouce, let alone spell, i.e. TAJIKISTAN.

Marit sent me an email the other day, telling me that all of her friends in DUSHANBE have been laughing at her, beacause she's an inept when it come to pancakes. She's as bad at making pancakes as I am at spelling TAJIKISTAN. She blames it all on Betty Crocker.

I don't call pancakes, pancakes. I call them hotcakes, because that's what my dad calls him. Maybe it's because he's from Oklahoma. But I've never heard anyone else in Oklahoma call pancakes "hotcakes". Maybe calling pancakes "hotcakes" is his way of bastardizing the Queen's English. Or whatever. I call them hotcakes too. Because I'm contrary, which rhymes with my name: Contrary Mary.

Something else: I resent going out to breakfast and paying for pan/hot/cakes because hot/pan/cakes are simply to easy to make at home, and no restaurant can make them quite the way you want them. You can add specialness to a pan/hot/cake very easily, you can add:

-granola

-blueberries

-grated apple

-bananas

-brown sugar

-pumpkin puree

-ground pistachios

All these options are limitless which is soooooo exciting. That's why you should never eat breakfast out again. Unless you take me with you of course.

These pan/hot/cakes will make you a kitchen goddess. Your friends in DUSHANBE will never laugh at you again.

SO. These are pancakes for Marit.

fact: pan/hot/cakes are best with raspberry jam.

Pancakes for Marit

from SmittenKitchen, who adapted them from Martha Stewart

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups buttermilk

4 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat an electric griddle to 375°F, or place a griddle pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons melted butter, and whisk to combine. The batter should have small to medium lumps.

Test the griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If the water bounces and spatters, the griddle is hot enough. Brush remaining melted butter onto skillet with fork/knife/heat-proof spatula.

Ladle 1/3 cups of batter onto pan, about two inches apart. Wait until bubbles begin to form and pop on surface of pancake, and edges begin to look dry and more cooked, about two minutes. Using a spatula, flip over to cook other side. The now-exposed side pancake should be golden brown. Allow bottom to cook until golden brown. About 1 minute.

Use a spatula to flip pan/hot/cake onto plate. Eat. Spell KYRGYZSTAN in your head. You have become a kitchen goddess.