Dessert: Pancakes with Warm Maple Syrup & Coffee Butter

Recipe by Richard Blais If I entered a competitive-eating contest, it'd be one for pancakes. I like mine crispy edged, yet soft and tender inside. After years of tinkering, I've found that the best way to get this texture is to start with a fresh pancake

Ingredients

2 cups high-quality store-bought pancake mix (such as Robby's pancake mix)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup brewed coffee
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Pure maple syrup, warmed, for serving
Sliced fresh strawberries or blueberries, sprinkled with sugar, for serving

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk the pancake mix, flour, milk, eggs, and melted butter together until smooth. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and as long as overnight.
Put the coffee in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook until reduced by about half. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Put 4 tablespoons of the softened butter in a small bowl and whisk in the cooled reduced coffee until completely incorporated. Set aside until ready to serve.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter on a pancake griddle or heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the batter by 1/4-cup amounts to make 4- to 5-inch pancakes and cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottoms are browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the pancakes and continue cooking until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate in a low oven to keep warm until ready to serve. Continue with the remaining batter, adding the remaining butter as needed.
To serve, put 3 warm pancakes on each plate. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of the coffee butter and some warm syrup, garnish with the fruit, and serve immediately.