Oatmeal cinnamon pancakes with blackberry sauce

I'm a breakfast kinda girl. I *must* eat my breakfast every day (the only exceptions being when I wake up late or if I'm heading out for brunch). I've been known to wake up, brush my teeth, and the first thought that pops into my yet-to-awaken brain is, "Where's food? I'm hungry."

Oatmeal cinnamon pancakes with blackberry sauce

Blackberry sauce; Pancakes stack 

Breakfast lately has been mostly cereal with milk. And berrries. Blueberries and blackberries to be exact.  I love the current berry season and will be extremely sad when it's over. I've been buying loads of berries to eat, to store and to use in desserts.

I decided that I should make something breakfast-y using berries and the first two thoughts that popped straight into my mind was french toast and pancakes. I shelved the french toast idea cos I have something else planned for that, so say hello to Pancakes here.

These pancakes are high on the cinnamon and honey notes. Even though the honey used is so little, the warm honey tones, coupled with the lovely cinnamon aroma (I doubled the cinnamon used) makes these pancakes a comfort food. I reckon these would be awesome during winter (not that we have winter in Singapore...). Paired with the warm juicy berry sauce, mmmm, my plate was wiped clean after I was done, leaving behind only a faint thin circle of pink berry sauce that I couldn't mop clean with the pancakes. I brought half of these to work for breakfast yesterday, and I'm having the other half stack this morning again. Yums.

Oatmeal cinnamon pancakes (adapted from Ramona at The Houndstooth Gourmet)
(makes nine fist sized pancakes)

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add oats and buttermilk to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight (this gives the pancakes their distinctive texture). Add egg, honey and oil. Stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together.

Heat and butter a non-stick pan. Pour batter in batches (I cooked two pancakes at one go). Watch for the tops to bubble. Turn pancakes and cook until golden on the second side.

Blackberry sauce
1 cup fresh blackberries
1tbsp sugar
squeeze of lemon juice
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
pinch of cornstarch

Add all ingredients except cornstarch in a saucepan. Heat over med high heat, stir constantly to prevent burning. Smash a few (or all if a smoother sauce is desired) to release the berry juices, keeping most of the berries whole. Add in a pinch of cornstarch at the end of the cooking (about 3-4 minutes). Stir to dissolve. Remove from heat. Cool and store in container (or pour warm over pancakes!).