Sour Cream Pancakes with a Dash of Cinnamon

If you've ever been in the kitchen with me, you have probably learned three things about my cooking style:
1. I can't ever follow a recipe directly.
2. If there isn't cinnamon (or cumin) included in the original recipe, it will now be included in mine.
3. I most enjoy cooking when I don't have to do it, but want to do it.

Which brings me to this morning. July 4th, a celebration of independence and freedom. It's really for our country. But let's get real here, a day off helps us worker bees enjoy some freedom from work, too.

Waking up and knowing that you have a whole day of relaxation, sun, and friends ahead of you is pretty much second to none. With MM still asleep, I started creeping around the kitchen and quickly realized that it was a perfect morning to leisurely get some dishes dirty in the kitchen.

Pancakes were the obvious choice, but that was quickly kiboshed by the fact that our refrigerator is currently milk-free. Clearly, that was not enough to deter me. A quick mental roll of the recipe rolodex pointed me towards an easy substitution: sour cream.

Sour cream gives the pancakes a fluffy texture that you don't get with traditional pancakes. There's a very slight tang that accompanies the pancakes, but it's offset by the sweetness of the syrup. Final verdict: 2 votes for "absolutely make these again!"

 Sour Cream Pancakes with a Dash of Cinnamon
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

7 tablespoons all purpose flour
2.5 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter
Maple syrup

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat; you want it to slowly get nice and hot.

Stir the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in the bottom of a medium bowl. Dump the sour cream in on top and stir it together very gently; it’s okay to leave the texture a bit uneven. Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir them into the sour cream mixture, once again, being careful not to overmix.

Melt about a tablespoon of butter in your skillet or griddle and pour the batter in, a scant 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear all over the surface, flipping them carefully and cooking for about a minute on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve in a stack, topped with a pat of butter and a cascade of maple syrup.