Cranberry-Orange Flap-jacks for The Mother's Day Win

Rise & Shine! Warm up that griddle and pop that champagne! Or be okay with just never leaving the bed today and that's great too. Mother's Day is a mix of complex feelings for so many for different reasons. I myself did not get the weekend with my daughter personally so I understand completely. I also lost my mom in 2007 to cervical cancer so a Sex and The City marathon in bed sounds ideal today with chocolate. But I forced myself out of bed and decided to cook breakfast. Lin and I are also starting a 21 day sugar detox on Tuesday so It made sense to start purging everything in the fridge and I hate hate hate wasting food, and cooking is actually therapy for me. It soothes my mind and opens my heart...just as a yoga practice would do for a yogi, I suppose. Cheryl Strayed posted an amazing message on her fb yesterday with a podcast to accompany it.

"Dear ones: I know Mother's Day is a joy to many of you. I know it's a giant suck bag of sorrow for others of you. I know some of you are indifferent to it. I know some of you have wonderful mothers and you get to pick out the perfect card for her and take her to brunch and give her a bouquet of flowers and others of you are alone and weeping while watching your monstrously sad faces in the bathroom mirror, wondering why your mom had to die or be a drug addict or be mentally ill or be such an inexplicable evil shit to you. I know some of you desperately want to become mothers and can't and aren't and will never be and some of you have zero interest in becoming mothers and you feel sickeningly suffocated by a world that equates womanhood with motherhood and some of you ARE mothers and you love it and you treasure this day because finally someone picked out a card for you and took you to brunch and gave you a bouquet of flowers. And some of you are mothers but your children are dead. Or lost to you in another way. I know, for most of us, it's a holiday that will change in meaning to us over time. Whatever it is, I want to say I know it's there and it's real and it's true because it's YOURS. I'm with you, wherever it is you are, in heart. And here's the new episode of Dear Sugar Radio" _Cheryl Strayed

It really resonated with me. She captured the multi-faceted emotions that we experience when society or even loved ones try to dictate how we should feel. One size does not fit all. This is my 9th motherless Mother's Day and reading Cheryl's words remind me that, YES, I am a daughter of a mother that was extremely flawed but so so very loved and missed and today I celebrate her silently in my heart. I also celebrate being a mother. It was terrifying having Zoe so young but this girl changed my life in the best way. Watching her grow up is such an amazing thing and I am so lucky to be her mom.

See, sooooo complex. Let's just get to these amazing amazing cranberry-Orange pancakes and eat our emotions. They are soooooo delicious !! I have had this combination in a muffin before and that was the inspiration for the hot cake.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups buttermilk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp table salt
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
the zest from one orange (save ½ tsp of it for the syrup)
1 5oz. bag of dried cranberries (also known as "Craisins" -- you won't use the whole bag, but the amount you want to use is totally up to you)
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
oil or butter to coat your griddle or skillet (I used butter)

For the syrup:

½ cup real maple syrup
¼ to ⅓ cup fresh or frozen cranberries (I used fresh)
2 tsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau (optional)
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp orange zest

INSTRUCTIONS

For the syrup:

Pour ½ cup maple syrup into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in the cranberries, orange zest, liquor (if using), and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer and mix until all of the cinnamon is smoothly combined and the berries begin to pop (if you're using fresh cranberries), about 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and cover while you make the pancakes.

For the pancakes:

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to combine.
Whisk egg, vanilla, orange zest and melted butter into the milk mixture (or buttermilk) until combined. Make well in center of dry ingredients in bowl; pour in milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined (a few lumps should remain). Do not over mix.
Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes; add 1 teaspoon oil or butter and brush to coat skillet bottom evenly. If using an electric griddle, you can set the heat to the second highest setting. Pour ¼ cup batter onto 3 spots on skillet; sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried cranberries over each pancake. Cook pancakes until large bubbles begin to appear, 1½ to 2 minutes. Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on second side, 1 to 1½ minutes longer. Serve immediately with butter and syrup, and repeat with remaining batter.