Sweet ’n’ salty cakes

Pancakes are perfect for a fall day.

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When I was growing up, my mom taught me only a couple of things to cook. Mainly, she wanted to make sure I didn’t stick the butter knife into the toaster, or microwave the SpaghettiOs in the can.

One thing I vividly remember is her teaching me how to make pancakes from a box mix. I get the complete mix and just add water. If you ask me how much, I’d say, “I don’t know, so the batter is thick, but not too thick.” If you don’t know what that means, there are measurements on the box.

I keep the pan, or griddle, on medium-low heat, pour the batter in to make about five-inch-diameter cakes. As a very young kid, I was standing over the stovetop and I asked Mom, “When do you flip them?” Of course, my impatience always gets the best of me, and I flip them way too soon. “The trick is to wait until they bubble,” she told me. Here I am 25 years later, hovering over the circles of batter, patiently waiting for the bubbles.

On a recent almost-fall morning, I made myself pancakes with walnuts and white chocolate chips. I topped them with butter, the real stuff; margarine just doesn’t have the same saltiness, and Mrs. Buttersworth’s syrup right from the fridge. If you prefer the authentic maple syrup, I understand. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed the store-bought stuff, “the real syrup,” as I used to call it as a kid.

I enjoy the flavors of the salty butter and the nuts against the sweet chips, and the contrast of the hot pancakes versus the cold syrup.

I recommend enjoying these pancakes on your day off, or when you have time to take a lengthy nap after.

If you have extra, they hold up pretty well in the freezer for a midweek breakfast on the go.