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In these lazy days of summer vacation, the girls think every day is Saturday. And Saturday often means pancakes.  Or waffles.  Or sometimes both; when the pancake and waffle factions are divided, it’s easy enough to placate everyone by making one batch of pancake batter and baking a few scoops of it in the waffle iron.  (Shh, don’t tell.)  Today, for example, was a both day.  We arrived home from a berry-picking excursion yesterday with a heaping flat of blueberries in our hands and a near-equivalent quantity in our bellies.  So today, again, we had a lot of blueberries we needed to eat.  For me, a day of excessive blueberry consumption naturally starts with blueberry pancakes.  Not so, apparently, for my big girls (make that “big” girls; the oldest is 5), who both stared at me, clearly baffled, and patiently explained the error of my ways. 

If you’re having blueberries for breakfast, apparently, you most certainly want a waffle rather than a pancake because a waffle has all those tiny holes into which blueberries fit perfectly, while a pancake has no holes at all and therefore is an inferior vehicle.  My reminder that we bake the berries right into the batter of the pancake was met with disinterest, if not disdain, and they therefore had waffles into which, it is true, they delightedly packed many blueberries.

So that’s an option.  Or you could make these pancakes, lightly fragrant with dried lavender and sweet with blueberry juice.  Drizzle them with honey and sprinkle with another pinch of lavender.  Enjoy with hot coffee while the kids decorate their waffles.The base recipe here is adapted from the pancakes in Alana Chernila’s The Homemade Pantry.  I used half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose, but she says you can go whole hog in either direction and it will work out ok.  I trust her because she seems like the kind of person who wouldn’t steer you wrong, and you’ll probably end up feeling that way too if you buy her book or read her charming blog, both of which I recommend.  They’d go great with that cup of coffee and these pancakes, in fact, if you find yourself with some time to spare on a lazy summer morning.

Blueberry-Lavender Pancakes with Honey: In a large bowl, mix 1 c. whole wheat flour, 1 c. all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 3/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. dried lavender.  In a large measuring cup, whisk together 1 c. buttermilk, 1 c. whole milk, 2 Tb. butter that has been melted then cooled, and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Gently stir wet and dry ingredients to combine, but don’t worry if there are still a few lumps.  Let batter rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

If you are using fresh blueberries, stir 2 c. of them into the batter.  If they are frozen, don’t stir them into the batter (unless you want purple pancakes); instead, drop them on top of the rounds of batter once they are in the pan.

Cook pancakes on a buttered griddle over medium heat until several bubbles form on the surface (not just at the edges), about 2 minutes.  Flip and cook for an additional minute on the second side.

Serve drizzled with runny honey and another pinch of dried lavender scattered over each serving.