Brunch, how I love thee. Let me count the ways…eggs, waffles, french toast, and oh yes, PANCAKES. Who doesn’t love a nice fluffy pancake drizzled with warm maple syrup?! I usually make plain, blueberry, or banana pancakes, but I came across this recipe one day in a Martha Stewart Living magazine. I never had nectarine pancakes before, but I thought they would be perfect since nectarines are in season right now (which means they’re inexpensive!).
When selecting nectarines, you want them to be ripe but still have some firmness. So avoid ones that are bruised or have wrinkled skin. You don’t want the nectarines to become mushy or watery in your pancakes. Most importantly, the trick to making fluffy pancakes is to NOT over mix the batter. You actually want a lumpy batter. Over mixing will create flat heavy pancakes, and no one wants that!
These nectarine pancakes are a must for your next breakfast or brunch. Simply double or triple the recipe if you have more guests to serve. You can choose to plate them with the nectarines facing up or down; either way, they will look gorgeous on your plates! No one will ever know how quick and easy they were to make. 
RECIPE
Yield: 2 servings (5 to 6 pancakes)
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk*
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking and serving
1 tbsp. safflower or vegetable oil
1 nectarine, peeled and thinly sliced
Maple syrup and blueberries (optional) for serving
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, vanilla, melted butter, and oil.
3. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture. Gently whisk and combine into a lumpy batter. Remember not to over mix!
4. Heat 1 tablespoon butter on a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Working in batches and adding more butter as needed, pour batter onto skillet or griddle. (I used an ice cream scooper for this to ensure all my pancakes were the same size. I used 1 1/2 scoops of batter per pancake.)
5. Place a few nectarine slices on top of each pancake.
6. Cook until small bubbles form on surfaces and undersides are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Serve with butter, syrup, and blueberries (optional).
*Note: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily make a substitute at home using lemon and milk. Put 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice into a measuring cup. Pour milk into the measuring cup until it reaches 1 cup. Give it a quick mix and you’re set!
