One thing that I have always found interesting since moving to Germany is how many people have asked me about pancakes. I am not joking about this. After getting asked where I’m from and then where in the US I’m from(and after they are disappointed to hear that I’m from the Midwest and not New York or California), I get asked if I know how to make pancakes. I do not know why Germans, at least the Germans I have met, have this fascination with pancakes. I remember once when Daddy and I were with our poly partner, Schnubbi, grocery shopping and I found myself staring at pancake mixes. The kinds of pancake mixes that are in a plastic bottle and you add water or milk, or whatever it calls for, give the bottle a few quick shakes and squeeze it out into the pan. Schnubbi asked if at some point on a weekend if I could make real pancakes. I told her there’s no reason why I couldn’t. Not like pancakes are hard to make.

Well, I was kinda secretly freaking out inside because growing up, any pancakes that were made in my house, came from a box of pancake mix and I was never the one making them. Plus, at the time, I wasn’t a huge fan of pancakes. But, before completely freaking out, I turned to my good friend Google and I found a recipe for pancakes. After the first time I made, them I felt super silly for getting as nervous as I did because there’s really nothing to them. They get made on a regular basis on the weekends and there’s so many different things you can do, like add fruit or sprinkles, or chocolate chips, or whatever you can imagine. I love adding fresh blueberries to them and then eating them with whipped cream and some cherries on top. YUMMY!

1 ¼ Cup all purpose flour 1 ½ Tablespoon sugar(I use more like ¼ cup because Daddy likes them sweet) 1 Tablespoon baking powder 1 ⅓ Cup milk 1 egg 3 Tablespoons oil ¾ Teaspoon vanilla 1 Tablespoon cinnamon(optional)

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon if using. Then add in all the wet ingredients.

And now you’re ready to make pancakes! I do want to share a few tips with you that I’ve learned along the way. My first ever attempt at pancakes was sad. They tasted delicious, but they didn’t look like pancakes.

Tip #1: Make sure your pan is nice and hot before you start making them. I always use a couple of drops of water to test this. If the water sizzles, then your pan is ready.

Tip #2: Turn down the burner before you actually start melting the butter in the pan. If you keep the temperature up too high, when you put butter in the pan it’ll brown and make your pancakes all brown. They’re still tasty, but they’re brown.

Tip #3: When you see bubbles forming on top of the pancakes, then it’s time to flip. This was something I had trouble with and would constantly come up with odd shaped pancakes because I was flipping them too early. Once I read this nifty little tip, my pancake making life got a little easier.

Tip #4: Check the date on your baking powder. This is something I just recently learned. If your baking powder is old, it’s not as potent and the pancakes won’t rise like they should. Still yummy, but very flat.

If you’re not up for standing over the stove flipping pancakes, then I do suggest trying this baked pancake version I found on the blog Six Sisters Stuff. I’ve made them and they are super yummy as well, and you can freeze them, which is totally awesome if you want some pancakes but don’t have time to make them in the morning.

I hope you enjoy these pancake recipes I have shared with you and I look forward to hearing feedback about how yours turned out!