Tangy Yogurt Pancakes With Brown-Sugared Cherries

Serves 2-4 (makes about 8 medium pancakes)

Yogurt certainly makes a tangy pancake here, but it also makes them fluffy — this is a very active, bubbly batter. Also, low to medium-low heat is best for cooking the pancakes through, so be patient! Once all the pancakes are made, you can always reheat them in the oven, but you don’t need to.

30 cherries, stemmed, halved and

pitted

¼ cup brown sugar

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Vegetable oil

¾ cup whole-fat yogurt, preferably Greek style, plus more for serving

eggs

tablespoons granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup all-purpose flour

teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon baking soda

Grapeseed or canola oil

Instructions: Add the cherries, brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons water to a small pot over medium heat. Stir the cherries while they heat up and the sugar melts until the sugar turns into a ruby-colored syrupy sauce and the cherries are softened, but plump, not falling apart, about 6-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool.

Heat a skillet (preferably cast iron) over low heat and add just enough oil to fully coat the bottom, about 1 to 2 tablespoons depending on the size of your pan. In a medium bowl whisk the yogurt, eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla. Set aside. In another bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt.

With a fork, slowly fold the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture until all the dry ingredients are added. Don’t feel the need to have a smooth batter; some small caper-size lumps are OK. The batter should start to look frothy and bubbly pretty quickly. Scoop ¼ cup (best to use a measuring cup) worth of batter at a time and gently place into the hot, oiled pan. Guide the batter with your measuring cup (or whatever you use to scoop the batter) to make a flattened circle. If you have a pan large enough to cook multiple pancakes at a time, go for it; just make sure there is about 1 inch of space between the pancakes as they cook. Once small bubbles start to form around the edges and then in the center of the pancake, check the bottom with a metal (preferably fish) spatula. The bottom should be golden brown, about 2 minutes. Slide the spatula underneath and gently turn over the pancake versus doing a high-flying flip (to avoid splatter and breaking all the air bubbles). Cook for about 1 minute longer, then transfer to a cooling rack set into a sheet pan. Repeat with more oil in between batches with the remaining batter.

Serve the pancakes on individual plates with a spoonful of more yogurt on top and the brown-sugared cherries over everything. Or, a simple pat of butter works, too.