Pancakes & VT maple syrup

One of the things I love about living in New England is getting local maple syrup.  Right now we've got a jug of Grade B (my personal fave) from Butternut Mountain Farm in Morristown, VT.  We picked it up at Whole Foods, but what I really love is heading up to VT and buying it directly from the farm.  (If you're keen, the VT Maple Festival is April 25 - 27.)

Great maple syrup deserves great pancakes -- and I've found the best pancake recipe in (where else?) the Best Recipe cookbook.  It's so amazing, you'll never even consider making pancakes from a mix again.

2 cups buttermilk (seriously, this is worth a trip to the store)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (we use 1 cup all-purpose, 1 cup whole wheat)
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to combine.
2. Whisk the egg and melted butter into the milk until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients in the bowl; pour in the milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined (a few lumps should remain). Do not overmix.
3. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes; add 1 teaspoon oil and brush to coat the skillet bottom evenly. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto 3 spots on the skillet.  Cook the pancakes until large bubbles begin to appear, 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.  Using a thin, wide spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the second side, 1 1/2 - 2 minutes longer.  Serve immediately.  Repeat with the remaining batter, using the remaining vegetable oil only if necessary.
   

We've found that a combo of maple syrup + fruit is the ideal pancake topping.  Since fresh berries aren't in season yet, we pop a bag of frozen fruit (like cherries, raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries) out of the freezer when we start mixing and dip them in a bowl of warm water.  By the time the first pancakes are browning, the fruit has lost its frost.