These pancakes are a delicious way to add fresh strawberries into your breakfast. Shortcake is one of my favorite desserts of all time, so I made this recipe to change up the basic pancake formula to make them a bit sweeter and more buttery, since shortcake tends to have a higher fat content than other cakes. The strawberries themselves form a natural syrup with sugar added onto them, so this gets poured onto the tops, making everything delicious and berry-flavored.

Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

• 1 cup flour
• ¾ cup milk (or substitute buttermilk)
• 2 tbsp vinegar (or substitute buttermilk)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg

OR

• 1 completed pancake mix batter using vinegared milk/buttermilk , single serving

• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp vanilla
• 4 tbsp butter, softened

• 1 cup strawberries
• ¼ cup sugar

1. Slice strawberry into small pieces and place into a bowl. If they seem dry, add a small amount of water (no more than 1/2 tsp) to strawberries and stir until they are visibly wet. Sprinkle sugar onto strawberries, stir until coated, and then do the same using corn starch. Place in refrigerator. Let sit for 30 minutes.
2. If using premade pancake mix, prepare one serving in a bowl using buttermilk or vinegared milk (SEE BELOW).
3. If working from scratch, combine milk and vinegar in a bowl and stir. Let set for 5 minutes until milk has curdled slightly. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and egg in and whisk until evenly blended.
4. Add sugar, vanilla, and butter to pancake batter and whisk again to mix thoroughly.
5. Place a griddle on stovetop and begin warming on medium-low heat.
6. When griddle is hot, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter into 5”-6” circles.
7. Let batter cook untouched for approx 1 minute, or until numerous bubbles form and the sides of the pancakes have set and congealed.
8. Flip pancakes over with a spatula in one motion.
9. After one more minute, press pancakes down lightly. If batter does not run, flip once again.
10. Cook pancakes on this side for 30 more seconds, then remove and place on plate.
11. Repeat cooking process for remaining batter.
12. Layer pancakes alternating between pancake and strawberries with juices poured onto pancake. Serve with plentiful whipped cream.

Serves 2-3 people.