Homemade pancakes give everybody a reason to get out of bed, and making them from scratch is almost as simple as beginning with pancake mix. To whip up a batch of these morning glories, all you need are flour, oil, eggs, leavening, a few basic cooking tools, and -- of course -- plenty of butter and warm maple syrup. Try Family Circle's Perfect Pancakes this weekend. There are also stacks of delicious variations, and you'll find links to some of the best ones below the recipe.

Next weekend, dig into one of the tender treats that follows.

Meanwhile, these four tips are key to making perfect pancakes:

• Keep pancakes light and tender by mixing quickly and gently. It is better to have a few lumps in the batter than to mix it too much.
• To tell when your pan or griddle is the right temperature for cooking pancakes, flick a drop of water into the hot pan. If the water bounces out of the pan, the pan is too hot. If the water does not bounce at all, it is too cold. If the water sizzles and bounces in the pan, it is just right.
• To make pancakes of equal size, mix batter in a large liquid measuring cup, and then pour the same amount of batter for each pancake.
• Keep cooked pancakes warm by placing them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven.

Perfect Pancakes

Servings: sixteen 4-inch pancakes
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Butter, maple or pancake syrup, and/or confectioner's sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees F and place a foil-lined baking sheet inside. Heat a griddle or large pan to medium heat.
2. In a large bowl whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and allspice. Separate eggs and whisk egg yolks in a small bowl with milk and oil.
3. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Fold in egg whites in two additions until no white streaks remain.
4. Using a ladle, drop 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter onto heated griddle. Repeat, spacing pancakes at least 1 inch apart. Cook 1 minute or until bubbles in batter pop and remain open. Carefully flip pancakes and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Transfer pancakes to baking sheet in warm oven; repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with butter, syrup, and/or confectioner's sugar, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 101, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 28 mg, Sodium 133 mg, Carbohydrate 12 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 2 g. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Here are 19 more of the Web's best pancake recipes.

Buttermilk Pancakes

This easy-to-make pancake variation uses oil instead of butter. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Cream Cheese-Filled Breakfast Pancakes

Topped with fresh fruit and wrapped around a rich cream cheese filling, these thin pancakes are great for a special-occasion breakfast or brunch.

German Pancake

Serve this baked puffy pancake for breakfast with fresh fruit.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Serve this 30-minute meal as a healthy brunch. The pumpkin and orange juice provide a good dose of antioxidants.

Apple Puffed Oven Pancake

Apple pie spice is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves or ginger. If you don't have any on hand, you can substitute cinnamon and a dash of cloves in the recipe.

Peanut Butter & Banana Pancakes

Boost the nutrition in whole grain pancake batter by adding potassium-rich bananas and high-protein peanut butter.

Corn Pancakes

A lovely change of pace from the everyday breakfast pancake, serve these with maple syrup or, for a savory dish, top with creme fraiche and chopped chives.

Peanutty Pancakes with Honey Butter

Honey butter adds just the right topping to these peanut butter pancakes.

Rocky Road Pancakes

For a pancake dessert, the texture of these chocolaty cakes begs for a sprinkling of miniature marshmallows and a drizzle of hot fudge sauce.

Fluffy Oat Bran Pancakes

Folding beaten egg whites into the batter is the secret to this light-as-a-feather, heart-healthy pancake recipe.

Gingerbread Pancakes

Heady molasses, ginger, and cinnamon add zing to ordinary pancakes.

Cranberry Pancakes

Start your day right with these easy pancakes packed with the tart goodness of cranberries.

Cornmeal Pancakes with Applesauce

Apple pie spice and cornmeal make these pancakes irresistible.

Blueberry-Ricotta Pancakes

Top these tender blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup to serve for a weekend breakfast or brunch.

German Pancake with Berries

This oven-baked pancake is filled with fruit, making it nice for breakfast or dessert.

Lemon Souffle Pancakes

Red raspberry syrup adds color and richness to these light and lemony pancakes.

Ham & Apple Pancakes

These hearty pancakes are studded with ham, so there is no need to cook up anything additional on the side.

Feathery Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce

Here's a great way to start the day -- whole wheat pancakes drizzled with fresh strawberry sauce.

Seared-Peach Pancakes

Peaches are baked right into these sweet pancakes. Serve with warm maple syrup for a nearly complete breakfast in minutes.