“Gee, Your Pancakes are Terrific”

 

Living a good life is like flipping pancakes. If you hesitate, it splatters all over the place.

― Matt Simpson

Mr Simpson may be right – it takes a bit of a quick wit, a sure hand and a practice to make a perfect pancake – much like the perfect life.  A dissertation on life is quite beyond me.  But the perfect Sunday pancake – this is where I have some knowledge.

I love the idea of desert for breakfast – especially on a holiday, a lazy Sunday, or when we have guests – and it surely pleases the child in us all.  We love chocolate but a candy bar for breakfast is a bit decadent, although I have been known to enjoy a piece of dark chocolate with my morning coffee.

After pondering the conundrum – why not chocolate chip pancakes?  With  bananas – a current favorite and maybe a tricked out maple syrup and marmalade drizzle.  Now your talking – a dash of vanilla and a pitch of cinnamon could round out the flavors.  Sappy and wonderful just like sticky buns – but that’s another blog.

For a special spring brunch or special occasion they do blow the blueberries out of the park – but why not go one step further – heat the maple syrup and add a bit of bourbon the the marmalade.  Just don’t serve it to the kids – we’ll not cross any lines here.

We love them – even my husband who doesn’t eat desert loves them and most of all.  Jo and Lucky beg for more.

Chocolate Chip & Banana Buttermilk Pancakes with Marmalade Scented Maple Syrup

3 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (All Purpose will do but I choose Whole Wheat)
1 T Baking Powder
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/4 t fine grain sea salt
2 t organic sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 t vanilla
4 T Butter (Melted & cooled – I often clarify my butter to remove the milk solids)
2 3/4 cup Buttermilk
4 eggs
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
4 ripe banana’s thinly sliced

Clarified butter for cooking (it’s easy and cooks at a higher temperature due to the removal of the milk fat)

Saucy Syrup
1 cup maple syrup
2 heaping T Blood orange or other marmalade

Optional

A dash of Cinnamon

1. In a food processor whiz all ingredients for the pancakes except the chocolate chips and bananas
2. Scrape bowl and whiz again – you may need a bit more buttermilk if the batter is too think
3. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle and drizzle a healthy dose of clarified butter to the pan
4. when the pan is hat and not quite smoking drop 1/3 c (you can use a ladle, a measuring cup or an ice cream scoop for this.)
5. As soon as the edges go firm add a few slices of banana and a spoon of chocolate chips.
6. Cook for a minute or two and when the sides go golden – flip and continue cooking.
7. Stack cooked pancakes of a warm plate.
8. As the pancakes are cooking heat the maple syrup and the marmalade.  Stir – being careful not to burn the syrup.  Turn the fire off and keep warm
9. To serve – stack 3 to 4 pancakes with the left over banana slices.
10. Pour the warmed marmalade and Maple syrup over the pancake stack
11. As an option sprinkle with cinnamon

This recipe makes 30 pancakes – but the recipe can be  cut in half or saved for the following day.  I think pancake batter always tastes best the second day.