Totoro Berry Pancakes

Serves 4 · 15 min prep · 20 min cook

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter for the pan
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. 1In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sea salt, and sugar until the dry mixture looks evenly pale and fluffy with no streaks of powder.
2. 2In a separate pitcher or bowl, beat the egg lightly, then stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla until the liquid smells sweetly fragrant and looks smooth.
3. 3Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a wooden spoon just until a thick, slightly lumpy batter forms; stop as soon as no dry pockets remain so the pancakes stay tender.
4. 4Let the batter rest on the counter for five minutes while you warm a wide cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until a drop of water skitters across the surface.
5. 5Brush the hot pan with a thin film of butter, then ladle batter into soft rounds the size of a small saucer, leaving space between each cake.
6. 6Scatter a few blueberries and strawberry slices onto the wet tops of each pancake so the fruit sinks gently into the batter as it cooks.
7. 7Cook undisturbed until tiny bubbles appear across the surface and the edges look set and lightly golden, two to three minutes, then flip carefully with a thin spatula.
8. 8Cook the second side another one to two minutes until both faces are a soft golden brown and the centers spring back when lightly pressed.
9. 9Transfer finished pancakes to a warm plate and keep loosely covered with a clean kitchen towel while you cook the remaining batter, buttering the pan lightly between batches.
10. 10Warm the honey in a tiny saucepan over low heat until it turns loose and pourable, one minute, then remove from heat.
11. 11Stack the pancakes on rustic wooden boards or simple ceramic plates, drizzle with the warm honey, and dust lightly with powdered sugar so they look like soft forest clouds.
12. 12Scatter the remaining fresh berries and over the stacks, then serve at once while still steamy and fragrant, as if shared under a great camphor tree.