There’s a novelty in bite-sized foods — an indulgence in eating eight of something rather than three. Silver dollar pancakes and a short stack may share the same recipe, but a smaller diameter makes the former more enjoyable. Topped with syrup and served with sausage, smaller pancakes kick mornings into high gear (and hangovers out the door).

From James Beard Award–winning chef John Currence comes a recipe for pancake batter rich with buttermilk and a generous dose of vanilla — best served silver dollar–style. One of more than 100 recipes outlined in Big Bad Breakfast, this take on silver dollar pancakes is the type of comfort food that renowned restaurateur David Chang calls, in the book’s foreward, “[not] just hard-hitting breakfast deliciousness, but the byproduct of years of hard work and real learning … accumulated working in kitchens all over the South, from North Carolina to New Orleans,” and for which Currence has come to be known.

Silver Dollar Pancakes

Makes about 30 silver dollar-sized pancakes or 8 giant-sized ones

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup whole milk
3 eggs
2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Clarified butter (or your preferred cooking fat)
Unsalted butter, cane syrup, fresh fruit, peanut butter or sausage, for topping (optional)

Preparation:
1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk together until the batter is smooth. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a spatula until fully incorporated.

2. Warm 1 1/2 tablespoons of the clarified butter in a sauté pan over medium heat for 30 seconds. To make silver dollar pancakes, spoon heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the pan. To make regular pancakes, spoon the batter into the pan a scant 1/2 cup at a time. Cook until the tops begin to bubble lightly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip over and cook until the other side begins to brown lightly and the pancakes look good and fluffy, about 30 seconds more. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more clarified butter between batches as needed. Consume immediately with butter and cane syrup and strawberries, and bananas, and peanut butter, and sausage.