2-2-2 Pancakes

Pucker courtesy of
Acclaim Images

Readers of this column will know that one of my favorite breakfast creations is the pancake, and a search of this blog for word pancake will yield many variations and stories, including this one of course.

This story is a short one. To the usual pancake recipe, I added some quickly prepared apples. I heated two tablespoons of butter, sliced two small apples (using one of these corer/slicer things, and then cutting the slices in half) and cooked the apples on high heat until they just started to brown on the outside.

I then poured over about two ounces of sour-apple liqueur. I have used brandy in the past, but did not feel like evaporating the expensive stuff this morning. I kept the apples on high until the liqueur was mostly evaporated, and then stirred the pieces into the batter.

Simple and delicious.

Lagniappe

We always use King Arthur flour, and have been known to visit the headquarters store for kitchen gear. So when the experts there offer a recipe for Simply Perfect Pancakes, I push past "My pancakes are already perfect" to see what they have in mind.

First, I notice that my pancakes never look quite this perfect, so I should pay attention.

I also notice that the recipe is generally quite similar, but that it recommends only baking powder, not baking soda. (I use both.) It calls for apples, but only in certain circumstances. Most interesting are the adjustments for particular weather conditions. Living in an old New England house, the heat and humidity differences are substantial enough to warrant close attention to these variations.