Saturday, September 12, 2009

Apple Banana Pancakes

I would like to cook breakfast every morning for my child, but there's no way I would actually get around to doing it. So I've found an acceptable substitute that makes us both happy. I make a big batch of pancakes on a night when I feel up to it. I freeze half and refrigerate half. In the morning, my son takes two pancakes from the fridge, sticks them in the microwave for 10 or 15 seconds, tops them with a tablespoon of maple syrup and chows down. When the half batch from the fridge is done, I move the rest down from the freezer. I know pancakes aren't the most nutritious breakfast, so I mix in some fruit to make them a bit healthier. The pancakes are delicious and so easy to whip up. The recipe below makes about 25 medium-sized pancakes. Enough for breakfast and after school snacks for the week. Sometimes for lunch I make him a pancake peanut butter sandwich!

Ingredients:

wet ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups of milk
  • 2 eggs, beaten lightly
  • 2 tablespoons of melted butter or oil
  • 2-3 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 large apple, diced (about 1/8 inch dice)
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla
dry ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups of flour
  • 2 tablespoons of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/8 cup of sugar (or to taste)

Directions:
  1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set to the side.
  2. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
  3. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until most of the lumps are out.
  4. Heat your pan or griddle over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
  5. Use a small ladle or large spoon to drop/pour spoonfulls of the pancake batter onto your pan. Be sure to scoop from the bottom of the bowl so you get some apple and banana pieces in each pancake.
  6. Leave the pancakes alone until the edges begin to look dry and there are bubbles appearing over the entire surface of the pancake! Then flip.
  7. Check that the pancake it done by pressing down gently with your finger. When it's done, the pancake should spring right back when you remove your finger.
  8. Enjoy with maple syrup, peanut butter, jam, or with nothing at all!