In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, large eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined. Don't worry if there are still small lumps from the cottage cheese, that's perfectly normal.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make sure there are no lumps in the dry mixture.

Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient mixture. Stir gently with a whisk or spatula until just combined. A few lumps are fine; avoid overmixing, which can lead to tough pancakes. The batter should be thick but pourable; add an extra splash of milk if it seems too stiff.

Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Melt about 1 teaspoon of butter in the pan, spreading it evenly.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the hot skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and bubbles begin to form on the surface and the edges look set. Flip carefully with a spatula and cook for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan as needed for each batch.

Serve the cottage cheese pancakes warm with a generous drizzle of maple syrup and any other favorite toppings like fresh berries or whipped cream.