While doing research for last week’s column about the history of canned food, one of the links led me to stories about Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France. 

Legend has it that he adored pancakes and actually got a kick out of preparing them for his beloved Josephine. 

He firmly believed in the legend that bad luck will come your way if you flip a pancake and it lands on the floor. In fact, he attributes the failure of his Russian campaign to those pesky floor-pancakes. 

French folklore related to pancakes says if you are in Provence and hold a coin in your left hand while you toss a pancake, you’ll be rich. And in Brie, the first pancake is always given to the hen that laid the eggs that made the pancake in honor of her contribution.

If whipping up a batch of pancakes seems too daunting a task for busy week-day morning breakfasts, make a batch ahead of time and when cool, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. 

When frozen, remove from pan and store in a zipper-type freezer bag. You can just take out what you need and pop them in the toaster to reheat; easy peasy and delicious.

Back in the '50s, my mom often served pancakes for Sunday night supper and my sisters and I thought that was a real treat. Peter’s beautiful niece Lesley recently began writing a wonderfully thought-provoking blog called “Pancakes for Supper” so with all these pancakes floating around in my head (and February 20 being National Pancake Day) pancakes it is for this week’s recipes.

Orange ricotta pancakes

• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Maple syrup 
• Powdered sugar

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk egg, ricotta, milk, orange juice, butter, orange zest and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Drop batter by scant 1/4 cupfuls (3 inches apart) onto an electric nonstick griddle (or frying pan) coated with non-stick spray with temperature around 350°F. Cook 3 minutes or until bubbles start to form on surface. Flip and cook 3-4 minutes longer. Drizzle with maple syrup and dust with powdered sugar. Yield: 12 pancakes.

Strawberries and cream pancake roll-ups

For the pancakes:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

For the cream filling:

• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups sliced strawberries

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk and butter and stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto a hot griddle coated with non-stick spray. 

Cook 3 minutes or until bubbles start to form on surface. Flip and cook 3-4 minutes longer. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. 

Spread down center of each pancake and top with strawberries. Fold pancake over filling (each side toward center). Yield: 8-10 pancakes

Sour cream pancakes with warm blueberry sauce

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water
• 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

For the pancakes:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)

To prepare the sauce: Combine sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Add water and stir until smooth. Add blueberries; bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.

To prepare the pancakes: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sour cream and butter, whisking to combine. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle coated with non-stick spray. Cook 3 minutes or until bubbles start to form on surface. Flip and cook 3-4 minutes longer. Yield: about 20 pancakes (and 3-1/2 cups topping).

Bacon apple pancakes

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 apple, peeled and grated
• 4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg and then stir in apple and bacon. Combine with dry ingredients stirring just until moistened. 

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle coated with non-stick spray. Cook 3 minutes or until bubbles start to form on surface. Flip and cook 3-4 minutes longer. Yield: about 8 pancakes.

Glorious morning pancakes

• 1-1/4 cups buttermilk biscuit and pancake mix (like Bisquick)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. low-fat (1%) milk 
• 3 Tbsp. canola oil, divided use
• 3 Tbsp. golden raisins
• 1/4 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained well
• 3/4 cup finely shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, lightly toasted

Combine pancake mix and cinnamon, whisking to blend. Add milk and 1 Tbsp. oil and whisk until combined. Stir in raisins, pineapple, carrots and pecans. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brush lightly with some of the remaining oil. 

Working in batches, form each pancake by dropping 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Cook 3 minutes or until bubbles start to form on surface. Flip and cook 3-4 minutes longer. Repeat with remaining batter and oil. Serve with remaining crushed pineapple (warmed) or maple syrup. Yield: 8 pancakes.

Paula Anderson is a freelance journalist specializing in food, entertaining and nutrition. She writes for several newspapers, as well as Maine Food & Lifestyle Magazine. She divides her time between Scarborough and Big Pine Key, Fla., where she lives with her husband Peter. Correspondence can be addressed to her at the Boothbay Register, P.O. Box 357, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or the Wiscasset Newspaper, P.O. Box 429, Wiscasset, ME 04578. You can also write to her directly via email at pander@maine.rr.com.