Mmm, pancakes

After chatting on Twitter about canning, the delightful SarahAnntiques and i decided that it would be fun (though not, perhaps, economical...) to exchange jars of things we had put up.  Jams and jellies were swapped, and in the back-and-forth, we mused that some of the lovely, sweet-tart, fruity goodness would be simply brilliant on pancakes.

I have - from my mother, who got it from the mother of a friend of hers, many years ago - an obscenely buttery pancake recipe.  After testing it out, Sarah insisted i publish it here, for your breakfasting (or dining) pleasure:

Griddle Cakes

1¼ c. sifted flour
2½ tsp. baking powder
3 T. sugar
¾ tsp. salt
3 T. butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
¾ c. milk

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Combine egg, milk, and melted butter and add to dry ingredients all at once, beating with a spoon or mixer until smooth. Drop batter from a tablespoon onto a hot griddle (375°F for electric griddle). Cook on one side until puffed and full of bubbles that break, then turn and cook on the other side. Makes about 11 four-inch cakes.

Okay, that's the recipe as i got it. Disclaimer time: you will need more milk than it calls for. I generally add a splash at a time to keep the batter at the right consistency as i cook. And “smooth” is a relative term – you may still have tiny flour clumps, and that's fine, they'll sort themselves out. I usually make a double batch and freeze some, as they take it surprisingly well.

So pick your jam (thin ones are best for pancakes!) or syrup (don't even think about anything that uses the word "flavored" - this demands the real stuff), and sit down to a steaming stack of pancakes.  You can thank us later - wouldn't want the pancakes to get cold.