Let's eat Pancakes!!! Homemade of course......

Breakfast is my third favorite meal of the day, right behind lunch and dinner. It is not often I enjoy a breakfast meal. And forget about getting up early enough to actually get to restaurant while they are serving breakfast! There are a few reasons for my lack of breakfast food consumption:
1. For most Chef's, mornings are best spent sleeping;)
2. I find a Turkey and Avocado sandwich much more satisfying than an Omelet.
3. I worked breakfast for 1 1/2 years flipping 1,000's and 1,000's of eggs, French toast, hash browns, bacon and pancakes. Let's just say too much of a good thing...
4. I can't eat ANYTHING with coffee. Coffee needs to be enjoyed alone:)
But that doesn't mean that about once a year I crave a stack of buttery, fluffy, maple soaked pancakes. There is just something about the smell of a hot pancake first thing in the morning that I love. It brings me back to being a kid again when my mom would make my brothers and I stacks and stacks of pancakes on the weekends and we would eat, drink orange juice, and watch cartoons. It's a comfort food, and every once in a while I bring out my measuring cups and whisk and prepare a fresh, from scratch batch of buttery flapjacks.

Here is the recipe I use courtesy of America's Test Kitchen....

BEST BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

Makes sixteen 4-inch pancakes; Serves 4 to 6.   Published July 1, 2009.   From Cook's Illustrated.

The pancakes can be cooked on an electric griddle. Set the griddle temperature to 350 degrees and cook as directed. The test kitchen prefers a lower-protein all-purpose flour like Gold Medal or Pillsbury. If you use an all-purpose flour with a higher protein content, like King Arthur, you will need to add an extra tablespoon or two of buttermilk.

INGREDIENTS

2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces) (see note)
2	tablespoons sugar
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
2	cups buttermilk
1/4	cup sour cream
2	large eggs
3	tablespoon unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
1 - 2	teaspoons vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Spray wire rack set inside baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; place in oven. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, and melted butter. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients; gently stir until just combined (batter should remain lumpy with few streaks of flour). Do not overmix. Allow batter to sit 10 minutes before cooking.
2. 2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides of pan. Using ¼ cup measure, portion batter into pan in 4 places. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2 to 3 minutes. Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes immediately, or transfer to wire rack in preheated oven. Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining oil as necessary.