Pancakes

1. Whisk together the eggs, sour cream milk and butter until thoroughly combined, then add the sugars and stir to dissolve.
2. Sift the flour and the salt together, then slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing with a whisk only until all the ingredients are incorporated. Make sure not to overbeat the batter, as this can toughen the pancakes.
3. Heat a small, non-stick saucepan over high heat. Add a small pat of butter, swirling it around to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour in a little batter (I found about 1/3 of a cup was perfect) and tilt the pan so that the batter evens out. Using a spatula, gently lift the pancake away from the sides of the pan, pushing the spatula a little more underneath the pancake each time. Be careful doing this- you don’t want the pancake to break, and the spatula will only slide cleanly underneath if the pancake has cooked through. Carefully flip the pancake and toast the other side, then transfer onto a plate and allow to cool slightly. Do this until all the batter is gone.
4. The pancakes will keep for up to two days if covered in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.

Jam

1. Melt the butter and vanilla together in the bottom of a heavy pot, over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick and sugar and stir to slightly dissolve the sugar. Add the blackberries and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
2. Once the jam has boiled, bring it back down to a simmer and allow it to cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes to half an hour. Stir often, breaking the blackberries up with the spoon as you go.
3. To test if the jam is ready, drop a spoonful onto a bowl or small plate, and place in the freezer for about ten minutes. the jam is ready if the spoonful jiggles when removed from the freezer. If it’s not ready, cook another 10 minutes and test again.
4. When the jam is cooked, remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the contents of the pot to a glass jar. If you’re canning the jam, now is the time to process the jar. If not, chill the jam, covered, for at least one hour before use.