I love the idea of a luxurious weekend breakfast. Something out of the ordinary that makes the house smell delicious. Preferably with a scrumptious compound butter, like the ones you see at restaurants. But this conflicts directly with my desire to sleep in on the weekends.

And sleep always wins.

But when I saw this recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes with Spiced Pecans and Peach Butter, and I knew I could have both. Each component can be made in advance, including the pancake batter, so when you wake up, a fantastic breakfast is just a few minutes away.

I started with the sweet, creamy peach butter. You can use fresh peaches or canned. Just let your butter come to room temperature (or soften in for about 15 seconds in the microwave), and use an electric mixer to whip the butter, sugar and salt together. Then, fold in your diced peaches, and chill the butter. (If you really want to make things easy on yourself, grab a small ice cream scoop, and scoop the peach butter into small portions while it’s still soft. You can place the scoops in a container lined with wax paper and store them in the fridge, so they’re ready for action.)

Next, I grabbed a skillet and toasted the pecans. Holy goodness, the mixture of pecans, butter, honey, cayenne pepper and sea salt is so ridiculously addictive – sweet, salty and crunchy, with just the slightest cayenne kick. They balance this breakfast, keeping it from feeling too heavy and sweet. And they make a mighty fine snack, so think about making a double batch, because if you make these a day or two in advance, they might never see the tops of the pancakes.

And they need to see these pancakes.

A golden tower of sweet potato pancakes, flavored with buttermilk, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg.

I made the batter and chilled it overnight, so when I woke up the next morning, all I had to do was whisk the batter, warm the skillet, and start making pancakes.

Seeing your stack of sweet potato deliciousness topped with melting peach butter and spiced pecans might make you wish you’d invited some friends. But part of the glory of this breakfast is that you can keep it to yourself. In your PJs. With bedhead.

Now, that’s luxury.

Sweet Potato Pancakes with Spiced Pecans and Peach Butter

Adapted from Elizabeth Sims and Brian Sonoskus’ “Tupelo Honey Cafe”

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 large sweet potato, roasted and cooled
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Spiced Pecans (recipe below)
• Peach Butter (recipe below)

1. To Prep the Sweet Potato: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a fork, prick your sweet potato all over, and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter, and then add this to the dry mixture.
4. Peel and mash the sweet potato, place it in a bowl, and then add the honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix it well. Add this mixture into the pancake batter. Let the batter stand for 1 hour (or you can make it a day ahead of time).
5. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add batter by the ladleful, and cook until the surface of each pancake is covered with bubbles, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden, 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve, topped with Peach Butter and Spiced Pecans.

Spiced Pecans

Makes about 1 cup (Do yourself a favor, and double this recipe.)

• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 tablespoon tupelo honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Add all the ingredients and cook until the pecans are lightly brown and caramelized, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, and store in an airtight container.

Peach Butter

Makes about 1 1/2 cups (Half of this recipe should be fine for one batch of pancakes.)

• 1/2 cup peaches, peeled, pitted and diced (about 2 peaches; use canned, if you like)
• 1/2 pound butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Pinch of sea salt

1. To Peel the Peaches: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Using a small paring knife, slice a small “x” through the skin at the base of each peach. Boil the peaches for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peaches to a bowl of ice water. Drain the peaches, and peel. Remove the pits, dice your peaches, and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and salt until light, about 1 minute. Add peaches, and beat until combined. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

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