Strawberry Vanilla Pancakes

My Adam is a pancake-eating machine.  Though he is pretty set on eating his favorite Cottage Cheese Pancakes every morning, I like to encourage a little variety.  So when I had some extra strawberries, I decided to give strawberry pancakes a whirl.  I figure Adam loves strawberries. Adam loves pancakes. It just might work. I scoured the internet, found some inspiration, and crafted this recipe with fingers crossed it would be a success. 

I had Mike test the first pancake. After one bite, he asked for another. :)

I gave a pancake to Adam...instead of pushing away the new pancake, he ate the whole thing.  Success!  

Strawberry Vanilla Pancakes are packed with an abundance of juicy strawberries and simply delicious. I used whole wheat pastry flour, but you can definitely substitute all-purpose flour if that's what you have. I diced the strawberries (in eighths), though sliced strawberries would work just fine and yield a beautiful result. Using orange zest is optional. You could substitute any other citrus zest or simply omit the zest if that's your preference.

There is no question that Cottage Cheese Pancakes are Adam's favorite, but these Strawberry Vanilla Pancakes may someday rival that top spot.  Mike and I definitely love them, so here are tasty fruit-filled pancakes that will please everyone at the table, big and small.

Strawberry Vanilla Pancakes
Yields 32 small pancakes

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups strawberries, diced or sliced
1-2 teaspoons granulated sugar
zest of 1 orange (optional)
powdered sugar or maple syrup, for serving (optional)

1. In a small bowl, mix strawberries and orange zest (if using) with 1-2 teaspoons of granulated sugar (adjust the sugar based on the sweetness of your berries). 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar and baking powder.  Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla until combined.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing until combined.  Fold in strawberries and orange zest, if using.
5. Heat griddle to medium heat (add oil and/or use cooking spray as needed).  Pour about 1 tablespoon of batter onto griddle for each pancake.
6. Cook until you see bubbles appear (about 2-3 minutes), flip and cook on the other side until set (about 2 minutes).

Adapted from All Recipes