So blueberries are back in the stores!  Yippee!  I adore fresh blueberries, and couldn’t resist the temptation to buy some on a whim when I saw them last week.  So glad I did.  They’re fresh and bright, sweet and delicious, and the perfect taste of spring to keep me going through these ridiculously cold weeks we’ve been having.

In addition to eating them fresh from the carton, I whipped up a batch of blueberry pancakes, to really indulge with this fruity delight.

I also made a blueberry sauce with frozen berries to serve on top.

Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Serves 4-6

Adapted from Crepes of Wrath

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 cup (or more) fresh blueberries
• 1 Tbsp flour, for the blueberries

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.  Separate the eggs, placing egg whites in a medium bowl, and egg yolks in a large bowl.  Add milk, vanilla, olive oil, and lemon zest to the bowl with the egg yolks, and whisk until well mixed.  Mix into the dry ingredients until just combined.  Then beat the egg whites with an electric whisk until stiff peaks form (it’ll look like whipped cream).  In a small bowl, toss blueberries with flour and fold into the batter.  Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter, leaving it kind of chunky from the egg whites, which will make super soft and fluffy pancakes.

Preheat griddle to 350°, or heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Lightly grease with cooking spray.  Scoop batter (about 1/3 cup each) onto hot griddle.  When bubble start to form on top, flip the pancakes and allow to cook for another minute or two.  Remove from pan and add next batch.  Serve with blueberry sauce and/or maple syrup.

Blueberry Sauce

• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar (or more to taste)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

In a small saucepan, bring water and cornstarch to a simmer, mixing well until cornstarch dissolves.  Add sugar and blueberries and bring to a boil.  Press blueberries against the side of the pot with a spatula to help them burst as they heat up.  Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until thickened.