Saturday, January 21, 2012

Apple Pancake Rings

First, I would like to apologize for the quality of these pictures. I made these on the morning of the birthday party {see previous post} and needless to say, the morning was a bit rushed. I was lucky I remembered to take pictures at all!
I wanted to make a special breakfast the morning of the party, but it needed to be something quick. And I also wanted it to be semi-healthy, since I knew that lunch would consist of PB&J sandwiches and cake - yes, there was also fruit at the party, but I know my daughter well enough to know that those would be left on her plate - and they were.

I looked in the fridge and saw... apples! My mind went to an idea I found and pinned just a few days ago, Fried Apple Pancakes.
I peeled and cored a couple apples {I LOVE my Pampered Chef apple corer!} and sliced them into 1/4" rings.
Then I whipped up a simple pancake batter, and Olivia had a lot of fun dipping the apples in the batter. {Of course the princess dress had to be worn first thing in the morning, and the hair didn't get combed until much later in the morning.}
I stuck the batter-covered apples in a small frying pan and cooked them up just like I would do with pancakes... and voila! Olivia not only helped me make it, she also gobbled up a breakfast with fruit in it! {How sneaky am I?}
Don't you know that bracelets have to accompany breakfast? Ha!

Apple Pancakes
Simple Pancake Stack recipe taken from Pancakes and Waffles by Kate Habershon

2-3 baking apples
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
3 eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Peel, core and slice apples. Set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bolw. Put the milk, eggs and cooled melted butter into a second large bowl, then mix with a wire whisk. Add the dry ingredients and beat gently to make a thick batter. Be careful not to overwork the mixture - it does not have to be smooth.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Reduce the heat. Dip the apple slices one by one completely into the pancake batter. Cook in batches of 3-4 at a time, flipping to the other side once the underside is golden brown. Serve warm with maple syrup.

The original recipe called for a little cinnamon in the batter, which I think would have been a great addition. I honestly didn't even see that part of the recipe until after they were all gone. It also uses reduced apple cider as the syrup instead of maple syrup. Sounds delish but I didn't have any on hand, and we were short on time. Next time I'll definitely be trying that!