Amazing Grace - Amazing Race!

 

 It seems there is a "special" day for just about everything. There are days delighting in doughnuts. There are days for savoring sandwiches and hallowing hamburgers. Pie even gets more than one day.

At our house, it's always a good day to flip for pancakes. But if you need an excuse, International Pancake Day is today - Tuesday, February 21.  These Apple Spice Pancakes could be the choice today - for breakfast, lunch or supper.

Pancake Day is a moveable feast whose date is determined by Easter. It's celebrated exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday (April 9 this year). 

Down the road in Liberal, Kansas, the 74th International Pancake Day will pit pancake flippers from Kansas vs. women from Olney, England. It's been a tradition for 74 years to have women race down the streets of their respective communities, flipping pancakes and running against the clock and each other. The race is always on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It's the only race of its kind in the world.

"Shrove" is not a thing, but a verb. "Shrive" (shrove, shriven) comes from the Old English verb scrfan, "to decree, decree after judgment, impose a penance upon, hear the confession of," according to the dictionary. Shrove Tuesday is a day to reflect, to seek penance and get ready for Lent.

In Olney, the Pancake Race tradition dates back to 1445. Legend has it that a woman was busy making pancakes and using up cooking fats, which were forbidden during Lent at that time. Hearing the church bells ring to announce the Shrove Tuesday service, she grabbed her head scarf and ran to the church, with pancake-filled skillet in hand. In following years, neighbors joined the race to the church. The first to arrive collected a Kiss of Peace from the bell ringer.

A TIME magazine picture of the Olney women racing each other to the church caught the eye of Liberal Jaycee’s President, R.J. Leete. He contacted the Rev. Ronald Collins, Vicar of St. Peter and St. Paul's church in Olney, challenging their women to race against women of Liberal.  With that, the two communities were off to the races - so to speak - back in 1950. 

 

Photo from the International Pancake Day Facebook page: Liberal's Billie Warden crosses the finish line in 1950. Billie won the local race with a time of 1:18 but lost to Olney's Florence Callow, who finished in 1:10.4.

 

 

 

This 74th year of racing also marks the 250th anniversary of the writing of the familiar hymn “Amazing Grace”. The words to this hymn were first spoken during a service on January 1, 1773, by John Newton, curate of Olney’s St Peter and St Paul’s Church, the very church where the Pancake Day Race was born, according to Liberal's International Pancake Coordinator, Kara Howery, in a press release.

 

 This year's Liberal winner gets a special gift from Olney to commemorate the Amazing Grace anniversary - a plate and a hymnal. Photo from the International National Pancake race website.

 

 On both sides of the Atlantic the race still culminates with Shriving Services that feature the singing of “Amazing Grace” as an integral part of the service. That will again be the case on this 250th year of the hymn's writing.

Racers must still wear a head scarf and apron. Each runner flips her pancake at the starting signal and again as she crosses the finish line to prove she still has her pancake after running the 415-yard course.

Photo from the International Pancake Day Race Facebook page

According to the book, America Celebrates! A Patchwork of Weird & Wonderful Holiday Lore, some superstitions have evolved among Liberal racers:

• It is considered good luck to carry a past winner's skillet in the race or wear a past winner's apron.
• One year, the stack of concrete pancakes marking the starting point of the race was stolen. This was considered a bad omen, but the stack was later returned.
• Although the women practice running 415 yards, it is considered bad luck to run the official race course during the practice sessions.

If you're looking for your own International Pancake Day treat, Apple Spice Pancakes are good for breakfast ... or for a breakfast-themed lunch or supper. They are packed with grated apples, pecans and spices. 

I served them with Cinnamon Cream Syrup. Jill lived in Nashville, Tennessee, while she was completing her dietetics degrees. The Cinnamon Cream Syrup is a copycat for the syrup served at the Pancake Pantry there, a favorite stop when we visited Nashville. Since it echos the pancake spices, it was the perfect topper, especially for someone like me who isn't a real fan of maple syrup.

 Apple Spice Pancakes

2 cups flour

2 tbsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tbsp. maple syrup

2 Gala apples (or similar), cored and grated

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Cinnamon Cream Syrup (recipe below)

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and maple syrup. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and stir to combine (don't overmix). Stir in grated apples and pecans.

Heat a skillet to 350 degrees. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop batter onto hot skillet, a few pancakes at a time. When pancakes start to bubble on top, flip and cook until pancakes are cooked through all the way. Makes about 20 pancakes. 

Serve pancakes with Cinnamon Cream Syrup (or other favorite syrup).

 Cinnamon Cream Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 5-oz. can evaporated milk

In a saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in milk.

Serve over pancakes, waffles or French toast.

International Pancake Day: Flip for Pancakes!

 

It seems there is a "special" day for just about everything. There are days delighting in doughnuts. There are days for savoring sandwiches and hallowing hamburgers. Pie even gets more than one day.

It's always a good day to flip for pancakes. But if you need an excuse, International Pancake Day is today - Tuesday, March 1. Pancake Day is a moveable feast whose date is determined by Easter. It's celebrated exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday (April 17 this year).

Down the road in Liberal, Kansas, the 73rd International Pancake Day is back after a hiatus last year due to Covid.  

For 73 years, the women of the two communities - Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England - have raced down the streets of their respective communities, flipping pancakes and running against the clock and each other. The race is always on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It's the only race of its kind in the world.

"Shrove" is not a thing, but a verb. "Shrive" (shrove, shriven) comes from the Old English verb scrfan, "to decree, decree after judgment, impose a penance upon, hear the confession of," according to the dictionary. Shrove Tuesday is a day to reflect, to seek penance and get ready for Lent.

In Olney, the Pancake Race tradition dates back to 1445. Legend has it that a woman was busy making pancakes and using up cooking fats, which were forbidden during Lent at that time. Hearing the church bells ring to announce the Shrove Tuesday service, she grabbed her head scarf and ran to the church, with pancake-filled skillet in hand. In following years, neighbors joined the race to the church. The first to arrive collected a Kiss of Peace from the bell ringer.

Photo from the International Pancake Day Facebook page: Liberal's Billie Warden crosses the finish line in 1950. Billie won the local race with a time of 1:18 but lost to Olney's Florence Callow, who finished in 1:10.4.

 

 

The international race with Liberal began in 1950, when Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete saw a photo of the English race in Time magazine and then contacted Olney, challenging their women to race against the women of Liberal.

Racers must still wear a head scarf and apron. Each runner flips her pancake at the starting signal and again as she crosses the finish line to prove she still has her pancake after running the 415-yard course.

Photo from the International Pancake Day Race Facebook page

According to the book, America Celebrates! A Patchwork of Weird & Wonderful Holiday Lore, some superstitions have evolved among Liberal racers:

• It is considered good luck to carry a past winner's skillet in the race or wear a past winner's apron.
• One year, the stack of concrete pancakes marking the starting point of the race was stolen. This was considered a bad omen, but the stack was later returned.
• Although the women practice running 415 yards, it is considered bad luck to run the official race course during the practice sessions.

If you're looking for your own International Pancake Day treat, Country Crunch Pancakes are good for breakfast ... or for a breakfast-themed lunch or supper. The topping mixture offers another layer of flavor and subtle crunch. And Randy is always a fan of added blueberries. I used frozen blueberries, since there weren't fresh ones at my local grocery store. 

Kinley & Brooke are fans of breakfast, too - at any meal of the day! 

Photo from 2020 - I need an updated pancake picture! 

Whether you make pancakes or not, I'll leave you with the traditional blessing bestowed upon the pancake race winner - whether in Liberal or Olney:

The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

These days, we can take all the PEACE we can get.

 

 

Country Crunch Pancakes

From Taste of Home

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-1/4 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, optional

CRUNCHY TOPPING:
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup chopped slivered almonds
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a bowl, combine flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Combine buttermilk, eggs and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in blueberries if desired.
Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle about 1 teaspoon for each pancake onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Pour 1/4 cup of batter over topping; immediately sprinkle with another teaspoonful of topping. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancake; cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with your favorite syrup.

 

NOTE: I did use frozen blueberries, since fresh ones weren't available at my local store. I also made my "buttermilk" by combining vinegar and milk.

 

 

 

Breakfast of Champions

Our usual breakfast when growing up consisted of opening the "cereal cabinet" next to the table and making a selection from a wide variety of cold cereals found next to the stash of napkins. In the winter, the options might include hot oatmeal or Cream of Wheat with chopped-up dates adding sweetness to a few lucky bites.

On the other hand, Randy grew up eating hot breakfasts the majority of the time. I got him converted in no time at all - ha!

I love eating an occasional breakfast out at a restaurant. In fact, it's one of my favorite meals to eat outside the home. And, at the Ladd B & B, where we often stay before or after K-State games, a hot breakfast is sometimes on the menu plan. This past weekend, Jill was already feeding a crowd after the homecoming parade Friday night with yummy slow cookers full of chili and chicken and rice soup. When I volunteered to bring food of some sort, she suggested Saturday breakfast.

I sometimes bring banana bread (and I did this time, too). But with an 11 AM start time for the game, I wanted to add a substantial start to our day ... and try to avoid spending a bundle at the stadium concession stand at the same time.

What did we do before we could go to a search engine, type in "breakfast casserole, sausage, eggs, hash browns" and get a list of possible ways to combine those tasty ingredients? Well, we used the shelves of cookbooks I have cluttering my kitchen, but the typing method is usually faster.

This time, I found a simple recipe at The Country Cook, a food blog. While it's not a blog I normally read, I definitely qualify as a "country cook," and the recipe qualified on the ingredients I wanted to use. I made a few modifications, and we ended up with a tasty, pre-game breakfast. (Check out the recipe below). 

Our whole family was able to sit together at the game this time, which was a lot of fun. 

After a week of rain, it was a perfect fall day. 

 And K-State even won the game vs. Oklahoma State with some help from this cute fan club!

Yes, Kinley was able to eat the breakfast casserole ... even with her current lack of front teeth.

Uncle Brent and Eric got to answer plenty of questions about the whys and where-fors of football games.

The girls actually made it the whole game, though they did take a brief time out to play with their cousins on "the hill."

We arrived in Manhattan in time for the Friday evening homecoming parade. The girls enjoyed hanging out with their cousins and a Sunday School friend.

 Who doesn't love a parade? (OK. Don't ask Brent that question. He's not a big fan.)

We saw Willie ... (Brooke hid from him) ...

... and the marching band ...

... and got a head start on Halloween candy. 

After all the candy collected, let's get back to that recipe, shall we? Besides a tasty breakfast, it would make a great breakfast for supper choice. Enjoy!

Breakfast Casserole

(Hash Browns, Eggs, Sausage)

Adapted from The Country Cook blog

2 lb. bag frozen hash browns, thawed
1 lb. pork sausage (you choose the spiciness level)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 sweet red, yellow or green pepper (or equivalent of mini peppers), finely chopped
8 eggs
1/2 cup cream or half and half
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 13- by 9-inch baking pan with baking spray. Set aside.

Cook sausage, onions and peppers in skillet until the meat is browned and vegetables are softened. Drain any excess fat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, 1 cup of cheese, salt and pepper, mixing well.

In the prepared baking dish, spread out the thawed hash browns. Put cooked sausage mixture evenly on top. Pour egg mixture evenly over the sausage layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Take foil off, and bake for additional 10 minutes, checking to make sure the cheese doesn't become overly brown. Serve with fruit, etc.

Note: I put the casserole together the night before and refrigerated it. Because it started out cold, I baked it at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes before removing the foil and baking for 10 minutes more. I started in a cold oven so I wouldn't break my glass baking dish.

Flipping for Pancakes

It's always a good day to flip for pancakes. But if you need an excuse to celebrate pancakes, International Pancake Day is Tuesday, February 28.

It seems there's a day for every food these days. There are days delighting in doughnuts. There are days for sandwiches, hamburger and hot dogs. Pie gets more than one day. But Pancake Day is especially important  in Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England. For the past 68 years, the women of the two communities have raced down the streets of their respective communities, flipping pancakes and running against the clock and each other. The race is always on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It's the only race of its kind in the world.

In Olney, the Pancake Race tradition dates back to 1445. Legend has it that a woman was busy making pancakes and using up cooking fats, which were forbidden during Lent at that time. Hearing the church bells ring to announce the Shrove Tuesday service, she grabbed her head scarf and ran to the church, with pancake-filled skillet in hand. In following years, neighbors joined the race to the church. The first to arrive collected a Kiss of Peace from the bell ringer.

Photo from the International Pancake Day Facebook page: Liberal's Billie Warden crosses the finish line in 1950. Billie won the local race with a time of 1:18 but lost to Olney's Florence Callow, who finished in 1:10.4.

The international race with Liberal began in 1950, when Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete saw a photo of the English race in Time magazine and then contacted Olney, challenging their women to race against the women of Liberal.

Racers must still wear a head scarf and apron. Each runner flips her pancake at the starting signal and again as she crosses the finish line to prove she still has her pancake after running the 415-yard course. The overall record stands at 37 wins for Liberal to Olney's 29. (Liberal lost last year, so it's time for a Kansas victory, don't you think?)

Image from International Pancake Day website,
2011 Liberal winner Nicole Schowengerdt

According to the book, America Celebrates! A Patchwork of Weird & Wonderful Holiday Lore, some superstitions have evolved among Liberal racers:

• It is considered good luck to carry a past winner's skillet in the race or wear a past winner's apron.
• One year, the stack of concrete pancakes marking the starting point of the race was stolen. This was considered a bad omen, but the stack was later returned.
• Although the women practice running 415 yards, it is considered bad luck to run the official race course during the practice sessions.

I flip for pancakes anytime, not just on International Pancake Day. So I decided to try out a new recipe. I love to eat out for breakfast, but we don't get to do it all that often. On a couple of trips home from K-State ballgames, we've stopped at IHOP for breakfast. I had a new favorite - Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. But the last time we stopped, they were no longer on the menu. (For the record, the waitress said I'm not the only one who has asked for them since they disappeared from the menu.)

I'm not sure whether I liked the pancakes more or the cream cheese topping. Thankfully, the cream cheese topping is still an option at IHOP, and I chose that to top my Harvest Pancakes there during our last stop.

However, now that I found this recipe from Cooking on the Front Burner, I can make the whole shebang at home!

I'm an advocate of breakfast-for-supper, so if you want to celebrate Shrove Tuesday in a way that's been a tradition since 1455, here's the recipe. And you don't even have to wear a head scarf or run a race to enjoy them!

Whether you make pancakes or not, I'll leave you with the traditional blessing bestowed upon the winner - whether it be in Liberal or Olney:

The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

with Cream Cheese Glaze

From Cooking on the Front Burner blog

Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Glaze
1/4 cup butter
3 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 to 4 tbsp. milk

Pancakes:  Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and the salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the milk mixture and use a spoon to stir the two mixtures until combined. The batter will have small lumps in it and will be quite thick.

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. A few drops of water should skittle across the griddle and evaporate. Lightly spray skillet or griddle with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet or griddle. When pancake edges look dry and bubbles start to appear on the top surfaces of the pancake, turn over. Once flipped, cook another 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the middle.

Glaze:  Mix together the butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk, using a mixer to make it smooth. (I tried doing it by hand and it was lumpy.) If it's too thick, add another tablespoon (or more) or milk. Serve over warm pancakes. Top with pecans or fruit, if desired. Store leftover glaze in refrigerator.

Want to Have a Little Ground Hog Today?

Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow this morning. That will probably come as good news to the people scooping snow out of feed bunks this morning. We got 0.40" of rain and no snow here in Central Kansas.

I don't know how much I believe a weather forecast from a furry rodent surrounded by cheesy guys in top hats and tails. However, it may be as accurate as forecasts this winter from the pros ... just sayin'!

Today is Groundhog Day. This was the 130th time that Punxsutawney Phil (or his ancestors) had made the February 2 prediction. According to legend, if Phil sees his shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If the day is overcast and he doesn't see his shadow, there is supposed to be an early spring.

This morning in Punxsutawney, Philadelpia, the groundhog came out of his burrow at Gobbler's Knob. The world - or at least the TV morning shows - watched. No shadow! Spring is on the way.

Well, we'll see.

The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earlier settlers. It stemmed from a combination of religious beliefs and facts associated with hibernating animals. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day.

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.

We got a jump on Groundhog Day around here yesterday by eating a little "ground hog." I fixed breakfast for lunch. Phil had nothing to fear. It was really sausage.

I have fond memories of Batter-Dipped French Toast as a Kansas State University dorm resident. I usually showed up for breakfast. (It is the most important meal of the day, you know.) But on the days when Batter-Dipped French Toast was on the menu, there was even more incentive.

I lived in West Hall, which was served by the Derby Dining hall on the K-State campus. When my dorm put together a cookbook in 1978, Batter-Dipped French Toast was one of the recipes included. I haven't made it for years, but I saw it when leafing through the old recipe book and decided it would be a great accompaniment to my "ground hog."

I am a big proponent of breakfast for any meal of the day. So, whether you eat it for breakfast, lunch or supper, it's sure to warm you up on a cold day. Enjoy!

Batter-Dipped French Toast

from the cookbook, The Sun Rises In West Hall's Kitchen

2 eggs
1 tbsp. oil
2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. milk
2/3 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups flour
2/3 tsp. baking powder
6 slices of 1-inch thick Texas toast bread
Oil for frying
Powdered sugar
Syrup & fruit, as desired

Heat oil in deep skillet to about 400 degrees. Beat eggs on high speed for 2 minutes. Add milk and oil on low speed. Combine dry ingredients. Add to egg mixture; mix until smooth. Dip bread slices in batter, coating both sides. Deep-fat fry until golden brown on both sides. Cut into triangles. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with warm syrup and fruits, as desired.

(Note: I did sprinkle with powdered sugar, but it melted on the hot toast. I should have sprinkled a bit more for the photos.)

***

Today, I'm linked to the Weekend Potluck. Check out the hosts of the weekly recipe swap at:

• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary
• Served Up With Love ~ Melissa
• The Country Cook~ Brandie

Flipping for Pancakes

It's Pancake Day today in Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England. So I thought I'd celebrate with them.

For the past 65 years, the women of the two communities have raced down the streets of their respective communities, flipping pancakes and running against the clock and each other. The race is always on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It's the only race of its kind in the world.

In Olney, the Pancake Race tradition dates back to 1445. Legend has it that a woman was busy making pancakes and using up cooking fats, which were forbidden during Lent at that time. Hearing the church bells ring to announce the Shrove Tuesday service, she grabbed her head scarf and ran to the church, with pancake-filled skillet in hand. In following years, neighbors joined the race to the church. The first to arrive collected a Kiss of Peace from the bell ringer.

The international race with Liberal began in 1950, when Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete saw a photo of the English race in Time magazine and then contacted Olney, challenging their women to race against the women of Liberal.

Racers must still wear a head scarf and apron. Each runner must flip her pancake at the starting signal and again as she crosses the finish line to prove she still has her pancake after running the 415-yard course. The overall record stands at 36 wins for Liberal to Olney's 27. (Liberal has lost the past two years, so it's time for a Kansas victory, don't you think?)

Image from International Pancake Day website,
2011 Liberal winner Nicole Schowengerdt

According to the book, America Celebrates! A Patchwork of Weird & Wonderful Holiday Lore, some superstitions have evolved among Liberal racers:

• It is considered good luck to carry a past winner's skillet in the race or wear a past winner's apron.
• One year, the stack of concrete pancakes marking the starting point of the race was stolen. This was considered a bad omen, but the stack was later returned.
• Although the women practice running 415 yards, it is considered bad luck to run the official race course during the practice sessions.

I flip for pancakes anytime, not just on International Pancake Day. So I decided to try out a new recipe for Coconut Pancakes and Coconut Syrup in honor of today's festivities, though I actually made the pancakes earlier to make sure they were blog worthy. They were.

I'm an advocate of breakfast-for-supper, so if you want to celebrate Shrove Tuesday in a way that's been a tradition since 1455, here's the recipe. And you don't even have to wear a head scarf or run a race to enjoy them!

Whether you make pancakes today or not, I'll leave you with the traditional blessing bestowed upon the winner - whether it be in Liberal or Olney:

The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

Coconut Pancakes

From She Wears Many Hats blog

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup coconut milk (not coconut water)
1 tbsp. melted butter
Additional butter or cooking spray

Lightly mix together all dry ingredients. Mix all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until incorporated. Don't overmix. In a skillet or on a griddle over medium-hot heat, drop rounds of batter (about 1/4 cup). Let cook until bubbles begin to pop in center of the pancake, about 2 minutes. Flip pancake and cook for an additional minute or so until golden brown. Test cook surface and temperature, and adjust cook time accordingly.

Serve with Coconut Syrup (or traditional syrup). I had fresh blueberries in the fridge, so we also used some of them on top.  And I sprinkled with toasted coconut, mainly for the picture, but it was pretty tasty, too.

Coconut Syrup

From Jamie Cooks It Up blog

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 to 2 tsp. coconut extract

Place butter in a medium-sized saucepan, and melt over medium high heat. Add buttermilk and sugar. Stir together. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and let it boil 1 minute.

Remove from heat and add baking soda and coconut extract. The syrup will start to foam up and bubble. (That's why it's important to use a medium pan and not a small one.) Let it sit for about 5 minutes. It will thicken slightly as it cools. However, it is still foamy (just FYI!).

Need some other ideas for pancakes (or waffles)? Try these:

  Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes  with Blueberry Sauce.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Brown Butter

 

Cinnamon Cream Syrup

Copycat from Nashville's Pancake Pantry

***
I'm linked to Wichita blogger Ashley's Wake Up Wednesdays feature. Click on the link for loads of other tried and tested recipes.