Special breakfasts–especially when children are among the guests–usually include pancakes somewhere on the menu. Pancakes with apples mixed into the batter is something I remember with fondness from my Polish upbringing. My memories came flooding back to me when my family was treated to apple pancakes during a recent trip to Poland. And that was our supper!
For many years now, I tend to fold in grated and/or sliced apples into any pancake batter–American or Polish. Apples add moistness to the pancakes and make the pancakes less cakey so that less syrup is needed. Dot the pancakes with blueberries, chopped peaches, or chocolate chips while they are frying in the pan, and you’ll be making the tastiest pancakes e-v-e-r. There is an added challenge when using apples in the pancake batter: knowing when the pancakes are cooked through. If you use too much apple in the batter, the pancakes may look done on the outside, but may still be slightly raw on the inside. How to remedy this problem without burning the pancakes? My solution usually includes one or more of the following: flattening the pancakes a bit with a spatula after turning them over on the second side, lowering the heat of the pan while leaving the pancakes on the pan longer, and adding slightly more oil to the pan. A taste test after the first batch will let you know whether you are on the right track. I’m probably being more dramatic than I need to be, as these pancakes are really not too difficult to pull off.
Below is the recipe and step-by-step instructions with photos follow.
| Servings |
|
- 2 large or extra large eggs
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk (more may be necessary to thin batter)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (more may be necessary to thicken batter)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 medium apples, peeled
- canola oil as needed for frying pancakes
- 4 tablespoons butter (optional)
- maple syrup or confectioner's sugar for topping
Ingredients
|
|
- In a medium bowl, add, in order, eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, milk, flour, cinnamon, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix with an electric mixer until just smooth or very few small lumps remain. If batter is too thick, stir in some milk. If the batter is too runny, stir in a bit more flour. Consistency should be like gravy.
- Grate the first apple (not including the core) using large holes and slice second apple thinly. [A box grater is recommended for both grating and slicing.] Stir apple into batter mixture.
- Set burner to medium-high,and heat a large frying pan with some oil (about 1 tablespoon). Pour batter in batches to make 4 pancakes per batch. Fry until golden brown around the edges and bottom is golden brown all across. Flip with a spatula and fry second side until golden brown. Remove from pan and keep warm on serving plate. Dab with butter (optional) and cover. Reduce heat to medium. Repeat with remaining batter, adding oil to pan as needed in between batches.
- Serve immediately. Dust with confectioners sugar, or top with maple or fruit syrup and berries or chopped fruit, as desired.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
This is a one-bowl, all at once method for making the pancake batter. In a medium bowl, add all the batter ingredients together. Start with the wet ingredients and then add the dry ingredients on top. Therefore, add to the bowl 2 eggs, 1 cup yogurt, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup milk (might need more later), 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, 3/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp baking powder.
Mix all the ingredients together with an electric mixer until just smooth. Using a hand-held mixer is easiest. Start the mixer on low and increase the speed as the flour gets moistened by the wet ingredients.
The batter should not be too runny, but also be careful so that it is not too thick and lumpy. If the batter is too thick, stir in some milk. If the batter is too runny, stir in a bit more flour.
