by A. D. McDowell

Created on: July 30, 2008

Nothing smells better on a Saturday morning than a delicious breakfast cooking. Especially the warm, sweet smell of hotcakes/pancakes! They are definitely a 'hot' item on the family breakfast menu. Pancakes can be made in a variety of ways. I like to present my family with gourmet pancakes made at home. They are simple to make and very delicious to the pallett.

One of the simplest ways to prepare pancakes is by going with an already premixed pancake mix from your local grocery store. But, we don't want just the ordinary box mix, so there a a few items that will help add flavor and make them very inticing for every one in the family.

With coffee being a standard breakfast beverage, visit the coffee aisle while shopping for pancake mix. Those popular coffee flavoring syrups aren't only used in coffee. Choose a bottle of coffee flavoring. One of my family's favorite is the hazlenut. There are many varieties from caramels to fruit flavored syrups to choose from. These syrups can be added to the pancake mixture to give a rich flavor and sweetened highlight not found in original plain pancakes.

Another ingredient for great pancakes is fresh fruit. Bananas, blueberries, strawberries and even peaches can be thinly sliced and added to the batter or placed on top of the pancake while cooking. Also, walnuts or almonds are also an added bonus!

A good way to make your batter fluffy is to use buttermilk. Once you've added your liquid ingredients to the mix as directed, pour in a tablespoon or two of the flavored coffee syrup. Next add in the chopped nuts. Be careful not to over mix your pancake batter as this will lead to them becoming flat. You want them to rise and be fluffy.

Have an oiled skillet or griddle pre-heated on medium. Spoon or pour the batter out onto the skillet or griddle to the desired sized. Allow the pancake to cook until the batter begins to bubble and the edges cook. Now it is time to add the thin slices of fresh fruit on the top of the pancakes. Once the fruit is on, turn the pancakes over to continue cooking.

After the pancakes have cooked, lightly butter each and stack up. Drizzle additional flavored syrup or regular pancake syrup over the stack, sprinkle with a few nuts if desired and garnish the plate with a side of fresh fruit. For an added touch, lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar.

These hotcakes are sure to be a hit with the whole family. Cooking should be a fun experience where creativity is encouraged and new ideas are explored. Have fun changing up the combinations of flavored syrups, fruits and nuts creating your own at home, simple gourmet stack of hotcakes. The possibilites are endless!

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