Weekend Hotcakes

This Weekend's Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

One of my favorite memories about spending weekends with my Grandparents was waking up to the delightful smell of hotcakes on the griddle. There was something warm and comforting in being able to stumble, bleary-eyed and sleepy into the kitchen while the sweet, buttery smell of cooking cakes would fill the air. After delivering to each of us our morning hugs and kisses, Grandma Mary Jean would sit us at the kitchen counter with a steaming plate of hot cakes, and containers of butter and homemade syrup. Her hotcakes were always golden brown, slightly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and were the perfect complement to that delicious syrup. None of us ever left that counter without eating at least 3 or 4.

I got a hankering for Grandma's hotcakes this weekend and whipped up a batch for breakfast Sunday morning. They weren't, of course, anything like my Grandma's (they lacked the crisp outer coating and homemade syrup) but they certainly hit the spot. Along with a freshly brewed cup of coffee and a whole day stretching out in front of me, it was a pretty great way to start the morning.

How do you like to start your weekend mornings?