Hot “specialty” pancakes on a wintery morning (easy)

Think about the feeling if someone said to you, “I’m going you make you some blueberry pancakes.” That’s about the equivalent of saying, “I love you.”

So, let’s talk logistics. Check your freezer. Did you put some of those blueberries from June into the freezer? Well, hopefully you did because this is gonna be super easy. You can use any pancake recipe or mix and elevate it to “specialty-mode” by simply dropping in some frozen blueberries. Yes, frozen and not thawed. Straight from the freezer into the pan, and you don’t have to mix them into the batter either. Pour your batter into the pan and place your blueberries where you want them – as few or as many as you want. Flip as usual, to cook the other side, and voila! You are a hero.

Homemade Pancake Charcuterie Board with Fruit and Bacon

What about a buffet idea?

Blueberry pancakes on a charcuterie board! Make small pancakes, arrange them on a board and fill in with fruits, nuts, specialty meats or bacon, and cheeses. Pancakes are easy to make ahead too, which is perfect for this type of presentation.

Whether you want to make a savory, sweet, or a combination arrangement, consider tiny pancakes. They also make great finger sandwiches. Whatever you decide to do, it looks best if you have a consistent size pancake. When cooking, try using an ice cream scoop for the batter. (Choose one with the thumb trigger that scrapes the scoop. They come in all sizes.) This is helpful because if you just pour from a ladle, a significant amount of batter sticks to it each time. The key secret is to quickly put the same amount of batter on the griddle each time.

Sweet Homemade Blueberry Cobbler Dessert with Ice Cream

Blueberry Cobbler for your Gobblers

Look at the Thanksgiving table and you will mostly see the colors of brown and orange. The turkey is brown, the stuffing is brown, gravy is brown, sweet potatoes are orange, pumpkin pie is orange-brown.

Why not include a vibrant blueberry cobbler? Your deep violet colored dessert will stand out. Folks will think you spent a lot of time on it, but its really easy. You can make this with frozen blueberries too! Again, straight into the cobbler dish from the freezer.

Here is the recipe (which I usually double and use a rectangular glass casserole dish):

Blueberry Cobbler Recipe

In an 8 inch square baking dish, mix:

 

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

…set this aside for now.

In a bowl, combine:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

In another bowl, mix together:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Then mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Drop this batter by rounded tablespoons on top of the berries that are already in your baking dish.  Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.  (I usually double this recipe.)  This is adapted from a blueberry cobbler recipe on allrecipes.com.

Happy Holiday Season!

It’s a special time of year. From Thanksgiving, all the way to St. Patrick’s Day we hope you make many warm and delicious memories! Enjoy your friends, family, and by all means enjoy your food!