I knew my maternal grandmother for 7 short, precious years until she died. I suppose it was really 4 years, not counting those baby and toddler years from which I have no recollection.

I can still see Granny’s joyful smile and her long, pleated skirts. I can hear the sharp crack of coal in the blazing hearth, and I feel its heat. Plates of Irish soda bread and potato bread are passed as cups clink against saucers. Pancakes, thin and as smooth as silk, are served cool with butter – just like at every Saturday visit.

When my parents moved us to Canada, my mom didn’t make any of Granny’s traditional recipes, out of fear it would fuel her homesickness. No more pancakes for me. (I didn’t lament the loss of soda bread.)

I remember how surprised I was to learn that my mom had never asked for Granny’s pancake recipe. And it was too late. Over the years, Mom tried once or twice to recreate the sweet, silky batter, but it wasn’t the same and she didn’t persist. She thought it could be the quality of the buttermilk; perhaps the grocery store brand wasn’t as rich.

As a university student, I occasionally reached for a box of Aunt Jemima mix at the store, masking the pre-fab taste with chocolate chips or blueberries (and “table syrup” – yuck!). As an adult with more ambition in the kitchen, I’ve tried many pancake recipes that failed to bring me back to Granny’s house.

Then, last summer, I had a “ratatouille” moment. (If you’ve watched the animated film Ratatouille, you’ll know the scene in which the grouchy, dubious restaurant critic is transported to his childhood after tasting one spectacular spoonful of said dish.) Well, my ratatouille is this buttermilk pancake recipe from Fine Cooking.

Granted, these pancakes cook up much fluffier than Granny’s did, but I’ve decided that’s a good thing. So, on Shrove Tuesday, I share them with you.

Classic Buttermilk Pancakes

I give full credit to the author of this recipe, Denise Mickelsen. The one thing I do differently is to increase the sugar from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup, which turns the sweetness up a notch – creating a cake that’s comparable to the deliciousness I remember at Granny’s.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter; more for serving

9 ounces (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar (*I prefer to use 1/3 cup)

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

Vegetable oil for the griddle

Pure maple syrup for serving

Heat the oven to 200 degrees F (this is to keep the pancakes warm once they’ve been cooked on the griddle).

Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove, and set aside to cool briefly.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk gently until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated; stop before the batter is evenly moistened. Add the cooled melted butter and mix just until the batter is evenly moistened (there will be lumps). Let the batter rest while you heat the griddle.

Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium heat (or set an electric griddle to 375°F) until drops of water briefly dance on the surface before evaporating. Lightly oil the griddle. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Let cook undisturbed until bubbles rise to the surface and the edges look dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Check the underside of each pancake to make sure it’s nicely browned; then flip. Cook until the second side is nicely browned, about 1 minute more. Transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

*I enjoy these pancakes so much that I don’t even need to eat them hot, or with syrup. Their silky texture and sweetness make them delectable served cool with butter.

Happy flipping!