Flapjacks

"Who else could go for some flapjacks right now?"

"...Too early for flapjacks?"

Did anyone else watch "Groundhog Day" yesterday? I guess that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday which means six more weeks of winter. "Don't forget your booties because it's cold out there..."

Anyway I was thinking about flapjacks and did you know that in England flapjacks are NOT pancakes but instead it's an oatmeal bar? (You've gotta love Wikipedia). I looked up some recipes and decided to try it because it looks pretty yummy and incredibly versatile. I'm using the recipe that I found on epicurious because most of the comments were from people from England and they seemed pretty excited to have a recipe close to the original treat. I can tell you that my boys were excited to come home from school on a cold day and have these along side a cup of hot cocoa.

Posted by Jen.

The Ingredients:

1/2 c butter

1/2 c packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp corn syrup*

1 Tbsp honey*

2 1/2 c quick oats

pinch salt

*The true English recipe calls for 1/4 c golden syrup. I don't have any so I duplicated it with part corn syrup and part honey. You may notice that there isn't honey in the picture. I actually had to borrow some from a friend and the honey is in the little red container!

The Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter, brown sugar, syrups, and salt until smooth.

Remove from heat and add the oatmeal. Stir until it is all coated.

Add to the greased pan and press in oatmeal mixture until it is all even.

Place in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes. When you remove it, it will still be soft. Trust me that it will harden up when cooled. The longer you cook them, the crunchier they will be once they're cooled. I took mine out at 17 minutes because I wanted them soft like a granola bar.

Wait about 5 minutes and slice into small squares. (Yes, while still a little soft. This will make it easier to separate when cooled)

Eat when cooled. I'm excited to try these again but I'll add chocolate chips, OR raisins and cinnamon, OR Craisins and orange zest... Oh! The options are limitless! What would you add?

OK. I'm sure that some of you are thinking, "That's fine, but I was hoping for a pancake recipe." Well, lucky for you there are many pancake recipes on this blog to choose from. Here are just a few to satisfy your pancake craving.

Pancake posts:

Cheesecake pancakes with strawberriesBanana chocolate chip pancakesLemon ricotta pancakes with raspberryPumpkin pancakesOatmeal raspberry chocolate chip pancakesCrepes

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Bacon Potato Waffles (or Pancakes)

O blog, how have I missed thee... 

With only a few weeks left of summer vacation, I've been hanging low in the blogging world and trying to maximize time with the kiddos before they head back to school.  We're eating lots of old favorites (tacos, spaghetti, and grilled burgers) and more recently lots of fast food.   A couple of days ago I went to my 20-year high school reunion in Minnesota, today we are at Mount Rushmore, tomorrow we will be in Yellowstone.  I love the summertime! 

A few weeks ago I decided to jump on the bandwagon and see what the bacon craze I keep seeing in the cooking blogworld is all about.  I've seen recipes for bacon cookies, bacon muffins, and even bacon cupcakes, and I'll be honest it all sounds a bit....um...unusual.  When I saw this recipe for bacon potato waffles, however, the fact that it was all kind of breakfast-y somehow made it seem less weird and a bit more like a natural fit.  We had some leftover mashed potatoes, so we gave it a try. 

I can't lie and say it wasn't still a bit weird pouring sweet buttermilk syrup over potato and bacon filled waffles that have a hint of oniony flavor, but after getting over the weirdness factor, we all liked it.  We especially loved it with additional crumbled bacon over the top.   The kids decided that next time we make them, we should have them for "Breakfast for Dinner", but they all definitely wanted a next time, so we're calling it a keeper in my book!  :)

Source:  Taste of Home

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:


1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed potatoes (with added milk and butter)
1 cup  milk
5 Tbs. canola oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Toppings:  Maple syrup, chunky applesauce (or sour cream and chives)
Additional crumbled cooked bacon, optional

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed potatoes, milk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in onion and bacon.
Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown. Or for pancakes, drop by ladlefuls onto hot, greased griddle and cook until golden brown on both sides.   Serve with syrup or applesauce (or sour cream and chives for a more savory dish).   Sprinkle with additional bacon if desired.  Enjoy! 

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Patriotic Pancakes (with blueberries, strawberry sauce, and yogurt)

 One of the things I love about the summertime is having more time for eating breakfast.   Although we like our cereal and oatmeal too, we love heartier, more filling breakfasts even more.  These patriotic looking pancakes are an excellent way to start the day.  Not only are they tasty and eye-catching with the natural red, white, and blue colors, but with whole grains, fresh fruits, and very little added fat, these pancakes are good-for-you too! 

Source:  Food Network Canada

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:


1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour (we used 1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat flour)
2/3 cup oat bran (near the oatmeal and other hot cereals in the grocery store)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 1 medium sized banana)
2 Tbs. butter, melted
1 egg
1 Tbs. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup low-fat vanilla-flavored yogurt (for the topping)

Strawberry Sauce


2 cups diced fresh strawberries
3 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbs. cornstarch

Directions :
Combine flour, oat bran, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.  Whisk together buttermilk, mashed bananas, melted butter, egg, maple syrup and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over-mix! Fold in blueberries.

Using about 1/2 cup batter at a time, cook on a greased preheated griddle.  Serve with generous dollops of vanilla yogurt and strawberry sauce!   Makes about 10 pancakes. 

For strawberry sauce, mix together diced strawberries and maple syrup in a saucepan. 
In a separate small bowl, whisk together orange juice and cornstarch and add to the strawberry/syrup mixture.   Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles and sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.  Serve over pancakes. 

Enjoy! 

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Whole-Grain Cheddar Cheese Pancakes

Whoa, wait a second....what did that say?  Is there actually CHEDDAR CHEESE in these pancakes? 

Well, dear blog readers, let me answer your querying glances at the computer screen with a resounding YES--there is a whole cup of shredded cheddar cheese in these fluffy round hotcakes of goodness and to quite delicious results, I might add.   The cheese adds richness, taste,  and protein while maintaining the pleasant crisp/soft texture that make this stack of pancakes as unique as they are good!  I highly recommend  butter, jam, and powdered sugar on top to make the savory/sweet connection complete!  Enjoy!  

Click here for printable recipe.  

The ingredients:

1 cup milk
1 large egg
1 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. honey or sugar (I used honey)
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Desired toppings:  butter, jam, powdered sugar, etc

GLUTEN FREE ADAPTATION
Sub the 1 cup flour with 1/3 cup almond flour, 1/3 cup ground flax, 1/3 cup gluten free all purpose flour and 1 Tbs. coconut flour

Directions: In a medium size bowl, mix together milk, egg, oil, and honey (or sugar).  Add whole-wheat flour, baking powder, and salt and stir just until combined.  Gently fold in shredded cheese. 

Spoon by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot greased griddle and cook until golden brown on both sides.  Makes about 10 pancakes.  To keep pancakes hot until ready to serve, place finished pancakes on a cookie sheet, then cover with foil and place in the oven on WARM. 

Serve hot with butter, jam, and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. 

Enjoy! 


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Cheesecake Pancakes with Strawberry Topping

 When I saw this recipe in my latest copy of Food Network magazine,  I literally couldn't stop thinking about them (yes, I can be a little obsessive when it comes to food).   I bought the ingredients and tried THREE times to make them without success, for each time I went to make them the kids had devoured my strawberries before I got to them.   Finally I sent my husband to the store to buy some more strawberries AFTER the kids went to bed and cooked up a big double batch the next morning!  These are supposed to be a knock-off of IHOP's Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes and while I've never had the privilege of eating their version, I can say that these are a culinary treat totally worth a diet cheat day!  I couldn't help but smile every time I bit into a REAL CHUNK OF CHEESECAKE and I was totally in love with the graham cracker/cinnamon bits of crust in there too.  I figure with a big helping of fresh strawberries on the top, it was practically healthy  ;-)   and perfect for an impressive Easter brunch.  

Click here for printable recipe.  

The ingredients:

1-1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 Tbs.  seedless strawberry jam
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 cups chopped frozen cheesecake
Cooking spray
Butter, confectioners' sugar or whipped cream, for topping (optional)

Directions:  Mix the strawberries, jam and 2 tablespoons warm water in a bowl; set aside.  (NOTE:  If your family likes strawberries as much as mine, you may want to double the topping recipe.) 
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. 


Pulse the flour, buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheesecake pieces, keeping them whole.


 

Coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour about 1/4 cup batter into the skillet for each pancake. Cook until bubbly on top, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 more minutes.

Transfer the finished pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Serve the pancakes topped with the strawberry sauce; top with butter, confectioners' sugar or whipped cream, if desired.

Enjoy!

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Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup

  I don’t really have much to say about this tasty pancake recipe I found over at See Jane in the Kitchen, other than they were awesomely good and I plan on making them often. 

Bananas + Chocolate + Peanut Butter = Out-of-this-World Pancake Goodness.

Click here for printable recipe.  

The ingredients:

PANCAKES
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used white whole wheat)
3 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbs. oil
1 large egg
2 small to medium size  ripe bananas
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips tossed with 2 teaspoons flour

SYRUP
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:  For pancakes, In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, vanilla, oil, and egg.  Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until just combined (do not overmix).  Mash bananas with a fork and fold in mashed bananas and chocolate chips.  (Tossing the chocolate chips with the flour will prevent them from all sinking to the bottom of the bowl.  Heat skillet to medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray or butter.  Add pancake batter by the 1/4 cupfuls.  When batter bubbles, flip pancake and cook the other side.



For syrup, in a small microwaveable bowl, combine peanut butter and maple syrup.  Microwave on high for 1 minute.  Stir to combine.  Serve over hot pancakes. 

Enjoy! 

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