Fluffy American Pancakes with Cherry-Berry Syrup

• self‑raising flour↗350g g
• baking powder↗2 tsp tsp
• ground cinnamon↗¼ tsp tsp
• granulated sugar↗2 tsp tsp

  plus 2 tbsp

• large eggs↗2
• buttermilk↗150g g

  or regular yogurt

• milk↗325ml ml
• fresh or frozen blueberries200g g
• frozen or canned pitted cherries150g g
• cornstarch1 tsp tsp
• vanilla bean↗1

  or 1 tsp paste or extract

• thick smoked streaky bacon↗200g g
• neutral oil

  e.g., vegetable or sunflower, for frying

• mascarpone↗200g g
• maple syrup↗

  for serving

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pancake batter in advance – up to a day ahead, or right before cooking. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and 2 tsp sugar into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and whisk. Add the eggs, buttermilk or yogurt and milk, whisk until smooth. If made ahead, cover and chill until ready to fry.

2. 2

   Combine the blueberries, cherries, cornstarch, 2 tbsp sugar and vanilla in a saucepan and stir until the berries are coated with starch. Add 1 tbsp water, bring to a boil over high heat and simmer 1‑2 minutes until a syrup forms while the berries stay whole. Set aside to cool, then remove the vanilla pod if used. Serve warm.

3. 3

   Preheat the grill to medium‑high heat and lay the bacon on a foil‑lined tray. Set aside. If you have a separate oven, preheat it to low temperature (50 °C/30 °C with convection/gas ½) and place the tray inside (to keep the pancakes warm while cooking). Otherwise, you can place the pancakes under the bacon, just watch them.

4. 4

   Heat a small amount of oil in a large heavy skillet, wipe it with kitchen paper leaving a thin film. Pour the pancake batter into a jug. When the pan is hot but not smoking (maintain medium heat), pour batter to form pancakes 7‑8 cm in diameter, leaving enough space between them (you can cook three at once). The batter should sizzle slightly but not aggressively – lower the heat if needed. Fry each pancake until the bottom is golden; bubbles appear and the edges set, indicating it’s ready to flip. Use a fish spatula. About 2 minutes per side. Transfer the pancakes to a warm tray. Wipe a little more oil on the pan and continue frying the remaining batter the same way. You should get 12 pancakes.

5. 5

   When you’re halfway through the batter, grill the bacon for 4‑5 minutes per side until crisp.

6. 6

   To serve, layer the pancakes, adding a spoonful of mascarpone, bacon and berries between each layer, and serve with a jug of maple syrup.