4 c  All-purpose flour
   3/4 c  Sugar
     2 tb Baking powder
     2 c  Milk
     8 tb Unsalted butter — melted
          Plus more for the griddle
     1 lg Egg
     2 ts Vanilla extract
   1/2 ts Yellow food coloring
 1)  Stir the flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl until mixed.
 In another bowl, beat the milk, melted butter, egg, vanilla, and food
 coloring until blended.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients
 and beat until just blended (it’s better to leave a few lumps than to
 overmix and make tough hotcakes).  The hotcakes will be lighter if you let
 this batter stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or refrigerate
 it up to 1 day.
 2)  Heat a griddle or large heavy pan (cast iron is perfect) over medium
 heat.  The griddle is hot enough when a drop of water skitters quickly
 across the surface.  Brush the griddle with a little melted butter.  Pour
 about 1/3 cup of batter for each hotcake, leaving a little space between
 the hotcakes to make it easy to turn them. Cook them until golden brown
 underneath (lift a corner to peek) and bubbles start to pop on the
 topsides. Flip the hotcakes carefully and cook them until the undersides
 are golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve hot with butter
 and maple syrup.
                 
                 Yields       
                8 Servings                
