Setting the Record Straight on Breakfast

There have been several breakfast posts where I have made waffles, pancakes, muffins, cinnamon buns etc. Russ has even made it on the blog once for his omelets. However, I feel like you may be getting a skewed view of what breakfast is really like in our house. You might think that Russ is spoiled rotten by my making him homemade breakfasts on Saturdays… but truth be told I am hands down the one that is spoiled rotten in the mornings. On weekday mornings Russ wakes up, showers, and then starts to wake me which tends to take a while, so in the meantime he lets Cash outside, then feeds him, and starts a large pot of coffee. He then brings me a cup of coffee with just a little milk and sugar and Cash and he continue to check on me until I finally make it out of bed and into the shower. So, despite Russ getting a yummy homemade breakfast every now and then on Saturday morning I am the one who is spoiled in the mornings with coffee delivered daily. I did treat Russ to homemade pancakes this morning and I even made the coffee to go with it!

The recipe for Lemon Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce is from one of the cookbooks that Russ had before we got married that has sat on our shelf gathering dust until today. I am working on cooking from some of my poor underused cookbooks as part of my New Year’s resolutions. Since this cookbook is Williams Sonoma Weekend with Friends the recipes are for several people, so I cut it in half for just Russ and me.

I started by making the blueberry sauce. You mix water, lemon juice and cornstarch in a pan until the cornstarch has dissolved. You then add a portion of the blueberries (I used some of our remaining stash of Mentone blueberries – yum!) and let it cook until the sauce thickens. You then puree the mixture in a food processor and then run it through a sieve back into the pan. Next you add the rest of the blueberries and the sugar and let this cook for just a couple minutes. The last step is to add in the cinnamon and more sugar if needed.

To make the pancakes you mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. You then slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry. The batter is still a little lumpy. You then cook them on a skillet. I used a non-stick skillet with just a little bit of butter. If you were cooking for a crowd then you would keep the cooked pancakes in the oven while you cook the rest. Serve the pancakes with the blueberry sauce on top.

Russ and I both really liked the pancakes and the blueberry sauce. Lemon and blueberry is a wonderful flavor combination and they work really well together here. Russ felt like the blueberry sauce could have been a little sweeter as he tends to like his sweet breakfasts a little sweeter than I do. Next time I’ll add a little more sugar to part of the blueberry sauce for him. We both thought the texture and flavor of the pancakes was excellent. They are light and fluffy with a hint of lemon. These are really delicious and would be perfect for a weekend in Mentone with friends. Russ rates them a 9.


Lemon Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce, William Sonoma’s Weekend with Friends
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients
For the Blueberry Sauce:
1 cup water
5 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups fresh or unsweetened frozen blueberries (thawed and well drained)
5 tablespoons granulated sugar, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 and ½ cups milk
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 tablespoons lemon juice
4 and ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest

About 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or unsalted butter
Confectioners’ sugar

To make the blueberry sauce, in a saucepan over low heat, stir together the water, lemon juice, and cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add 2 and ½ cups of the blueberries and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes, then transfer to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, then pass through a sieve placed over the saucepan, pressing down with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Add the 5 tablespoons granulated sugar and stir the remaining 1 and ½ cups blueberries. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the berries soften slightly, 1 – 2 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon. Taste and add more sugar, if needed. Keep warm. You should have 2 and ½ cups.

Preheat over to 200F.

To make the pancakes, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons of the zest. Pour the milk mixture over the flour mixture and stir just until combined. The batter will be lumpy.

Place a griddle or large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Brush lightly with some oil or butter. When hot, using a ¼ cup measure, ladle the batter onto the griddle or pan; do not crowd the surface. Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and bottoms are lightly browned, 2 – 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the second sides are lightly browned, 1 – 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a baking sheet in one layer, tent loosely with foil, and place in the warm oven. Repeat, using more oil or butter as needed. You should have 24 pancakes.

To serve, gently reheat the sauce. Serve the pancakes on warmed individual plates. Ladle some of the warm sauce over them and sprinkle with the remaining 1 and ½ teaspoons lemon zest, dividing evenly. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.