Banana Walnut Pancakes

These gluten free banana walnut pancakes are perfect for breakfast lunch or dinner.  Bananas seem to get ripe so quickly in the summertime. Lately it seems like every time I turn around I find myself with a few bananas that look like they’re ready for the trash.  Sometimes I wish I could just toss them out but I wasn’t raised like that.  My parents always stressed the value of food.  They wouldn’t dream of throwing away something that was a few days past its prime when it could easily be transformed into something extraordinarily good.  These banana walnut pancakes are a wonderful example of that frugal philosophy in action.  So the next time that you've got a couple of bananas that look like they’re ready for the trash just give them a mash and make a quick batch of these delicious pancakes.  Your family will be appreciate this sweet treat as much as your wallet appreciates the savings.  And if you get bored with the pancakes, there's always banana bread, coffee cake or muffins to change things up.  Feel free to use the search bar for some other great ideas.   

Ingredients:

• 2  Bananas (overripe & mashed)
• 1/3 cup Milk
• 1/8 cup Heavy Cream (you could replace this with oil or melted butter)
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 2/3 cup GF Bisquick (*see below for substitution)
• 1/3 cup Walnuts (finely chopped)

* If you don’t have gluten free pancake mix in the pantry you could replace it with:  1/3 c rice flour, 1/3 cup potato starch, 1/4 tsp Gluten free baking powder & 1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Video Tutorial:

Instructions:

1. Whisk the milk, heavy cream, egg, banana, and cinnamon together until the mixture is well combined.   
2. Add the GF Bisquick and walnuts then stir to combine, but don’t over-mix. 
3. To cook the pancakes, grease a nonstick skillet or griddle with butter, then over a medium-low heat add about ¼ cup measures of the batter to the pan. I find that cooking them slowly allows them plenty of time to rise and become fluffy before getting too dark on the surface.  
4. Allow them to cook for a few minutes until you see the tops of the pancakes begin to look dry and large bubbles begin to rise to the surface.  Use a spatula to flip the pancakes.  They won’t need much time on the second side maybe a minute or so. 
5. To serve them, add some butter, a drizzle of maple syrup and a few extra walnuts.  

Notes:  This recipe made 6 fairly large pancakes but you can easily double or triple the recipe as needed. 

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pancakes

These gluten free sweet potato pancakes are perfect for breakfast lunch or dinner.  It’s the middle of July and the temperatures here in the northeast are hovering in the mid 90’s so it might seem absurd that I’m blogging about a holiday spiced pancakes.  Alright, maybe this wouldn’t be my first choice for lunch in July but I had some roasted sweet potatoes leftover in the fridge and I wanted to put them to good use.  So, like any self respecting budget wise cook might do, I decided to mash them and whip up a small batch of holiday spiced pancakes.  This recipe is like Christmas in July recipe.        

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/8 cup heavy cream (you could replace this with oil or melted butter)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2/3  cup gluten free Bisquick *

* If you don’t have gluten free pancake mix in the pantry you could replace it with:  

1/3 c rice flour, 1/3 cup potato starch, 1/4 tsp Gluten free baking powder & 1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Video Tutorial:

Instructions:

1. Whisk the milk, egg, heavy cream, sweet potato, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl until the mixture is well combined.   
2. Add the Bisquick and stir until it is well incorporated with the liquid ingredients but don’t over-mix. 
3. Add some butter to a nonstick skillet or griddle and heat to medium-low.  
4. Drop about ¼ cup measures into the pan.  Cook the pancakes fairly slowly to allow them plenty of time to rise and become fluffy before getting too dark on the surface.  Let them cook for 3-5 minutes on the first side or until the pancakes begin to look dry and large bubbles begin to rise to the surface then flip and cook on the second side for a minute or two before they are ready to serve. 

I like to add butter and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.  Or you could serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you really want to cool things down on a hot summer day.  Give this one a try and call it Christmas in July. 

This recipe will make about a half dozen 3-4 inch pancakes but you can easily double or triple this as needed.   

  

Bacon Maple Glazed Apple Fritters ... Surely the Most Decadent Way to Get Your Apple a Day.

Bacon Maple Glazed Apple Fritters

This recipe was inspired by an Episode of  Unique Eats where they featured an incredible looking Maple Glazed Brioche Doughnut topped  with Crispy Applewood Bacon.  The awesome looking confection was the brilliant creation of the Nickel Diner in LA. 

All I could do was sigh since two huge obstacles were standing in my way from ever putting their heavenly looking treat in my mouth.  One,  I live on the east coast and two, the elephant in the room ...THE GLUTEN FREE LIFESTYLE I'M FOLLOWING. 

Needless to say I've created something here to vanquish any feelings of deprivation I might have sustained when the episode ended.  Today my friends, I bring you the most indulgent way to have your apple a day… Bacon Maple Glazed Apple Fritters   Honestly, what could be better than than a warm apple fritter bathed in a sweet maple glaze then punctuated with the salty finish of crispy smoked bacon.  I assure you folks, this one takes the cake in the category of decadence. 

Fritter Ingredients:

• 1 Apple (peeled and diced)
• 2/3 cup Gluten Free Bisquick* 1egg
• 1/3 cup Milk
• 1tsp Sugar
• ¼ tsp Cinnamon
• A pinch of Salt

* If you don’t have any GF Bisquick you can substitute :
   1/3 cup of Corn Starch  & 1/3 cup Rice Flour  &  1/2 tsp GF Baking Powder & 1/4 tsp Xanthan gum 



Glaze Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup   
• 1/2 cup Confectioner’s Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla
• 2 Slices of Bacon (fried, drained, crumbled & set aside)

The Video Tutorial:

1. In a medium bowl whisk the egg, milk, sugar cinnamon and salt together then stir in the GF Bisquick then the apples.  Now set the batter aside while you make the maple glaze. 
2. Stir the syrup and vanilla into the powdered sugar until smooth and set aside while you fry the fritters.
3. You’ll need enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of your skillet with about 1/4 inch of oil.  Once the skillet is heated to a medium heat, drop heaping tablespoons into the pan and use the back of your spoon to press down any apples that seem to be sticking up too high above the rest of the fritter. 
4. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on the first side then turn them over and cook for 2-3 minutes on the second side.
5. Remove them from the pan and place them on paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
6. Drizzle the glaze oven each fritter. You could even dunk them directly into the bowl if you’d prefer. Sprinkle with crispy bacon and serve.