Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

Melt 2 TBSP butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Stir in cream cheese, maple syrup, and ¼ cup sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until ingredients are smooth and combined and sugar has dissolved, 1-2 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook, whisking, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1-2 minutes. Remove pot from heat; cover to keep warm. Discard water from bowl used for cream cheese and wipe dry.

Place 2 TBSP butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted, 45 seconds. Whisk in crème fraîche until smooth, then whisk in milk, eggs*, ¼ cup sugar, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Whisk in tempura batter mix 1 packet at a time until no dry patches remain and batter is mostly smooth with a few small lumps.

Transfer ⅓ cup batter to bowl used for cream cheese; whisk in cinnamon and brown sugar, breaking up any lumps, until well combined. Transfer swirl batter to a zip-close bag, using a rubber spatula to get as much as possible out of the bowl. TIP: To make the transfer easier, place zip-close bag in a glass, then fold edges of bag outward around the rim.

• Snip a small hole off one corner of zip-close bag with swirl batter. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick pan over medium heat. (TIP: For extra-rich pancakes, use butter instead.) Add 1⁄4-cup scoops of pancake batter to pan; pipe swirl batter onto pancakes in a spiral pattern, starting at the center and moving outward. Once bubbles form on tops of pancakes, 1-2 minutes, flip and cook until golden, 30-60 seconds more. TIP: Lower heat if pancakes begin to brown too quickly. • Transfer to a plate. TIP: To keep the pancakes warm, transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven at 200 degrees. • Repeat process with remaining batter, adding more oil between batches if necessary. TIP: For quicker cooking, use 2 nonstick pans or a griddle.