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Add ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg or ground mace with the cinnamon.

Pear Upside-Down Pancake: Substitute 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced, for the apples.

Apple Matzo Brei Pancake

At Passover, kosher families cannot have leavened bread in the house and so use matzo, an unleavened bread, sort of like a cracker. Here, it’s mixed with apples and eggs for a single skillet-sized pancake. Makes 4 servings

Four 6¼-inch × 6¼-inch squares matzo

2 cups boiling water

1 large apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

3 large eggs

½ cup milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon canola oil or unsalted butter

Maple syrup for garnish

Crumble the matzos into a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and soak for 1 minute. Drain by holding a small plate over the bowl and tipping the bowl up to pour off the water. Stir in the apple slices. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.

Stir the egg mixture into the matzo mixture with a wooden spoon.

Heat a 10-inch skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat and swirl in the canola oil; or melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat, tilting the pan to make sure the bottom is thoroughly coated with the butter. Add the batter, spreading it evenly to form a cake that takes up the whole skillet. Cook for 1 minute, shaking the skillet repeatedly to keep the matzo from sticking. Cover and cook for 4 minutes.

Uncover, place a large plate over the skillet, then pick up the skillet and invert the whole thing, so that the matzo pancake flips onto the plate. Return the skillet to the heat and slide the matzo pancake back into the pan, uncooked side down. Cook until set and slightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. To serve, cut into quarters and pass the syrup on the side.

Malt Waffles

These are the best of all worlds: crunch from cornmeal, flavor from malted milk powder. Makes about six 8-inch waffles

Canola oil, vegetable oil, or nonstick spray, for greasing the waffle iron

2 large eggs

1¼ cups milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons malted milk powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Lightly oil or spray a waffle iron, then preheat it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, malted milk powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until the cornmeal is even throughout the mixture.

Use a fork to stir the wet ingredients into the dry, just until any lumps disappear and the batter is fairly smooth.

Spoon about ½ cup waffle batter into the preheated iron, or as much batter as is indicated by the manufacturer’s instructions. Close the iron and bake until lightly browned or crispy, depending on your taste (again, check the manufacturer’s instructions for exact timing and any indicator lights or sounds). You can place the baked waffles on a large baking sheet and keep them warm in a preheated 225°F oven for up to 10 minutes.

Buttermilk Malt Waffles: Substitute buttermilk for the milk; omit the baking powder and use 2 teaspoons baking soda instead.

Spiced Malt Waffles: Stir in 1½ teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and/or ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg with the salt.

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Three Flavored Syrups

For the best taste, never boil the syrup—it has been boiled in production—but serve it warm. Choose a medium or dark amber.

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I. Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Syrup

Makes about 2 cups

2 cups maple syrup

One 4-inch cinnamon stick

1 vanilla bean

Place the syrup and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan set over very low heat. Split open the vanilla bean and toss it into the syrup.

Heat slowly, just until a couple of tiny bubbles fizz around