Mystery Apple Pancakes

The sleepy child can barely manage to pour syrup on his pancakes.

In my continuing celebration of apple season I decided yesterday to try putting apples into pancakes. My nephew Michael was sleepy when he got up for school but endorsed the idea as well as a drowsy child could. 

Michael’s mother Leigh had to go run an errand as I was preparing to throw the pancakes together. I found most of the ingredients in her kitchen, but the flour was a mystery. I had NO IDEA what Leigh had in her flour bin.
 
It looked like plain old flour—but Leigh has been known to use white whole wheat flour and even gluten-free flour in her cooking. The child was stirring in his bed so I decided to take a chance and use whatever it was.
 
When Leigh returned home she informed me that I had in fact made the pancakes with King Arthur Flour’s gluten-free multi-purpose flour blend. This blend worked like a charm. I’m a little fussy about consistency, and I had nothing to fuss about here.
 
Young Michael—and everyone else—pronounced the apple pancakes a roaring success. He even finished the meal looking much more perky than he does in the photo above.
 
The Pancakes
 
Ingredients:
 
1 cup gluten-free flour (or the flour of your choice)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 medium apple, finely chopped
butter as needed for heating
 
Instructions:
 
Using a whisk combine the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar.
 
In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter.
 
Gently stir the wet ingreidents into the apple mixture. Do not overmix. Stir in the apple pieces.
 
Heat a frying pan or skillet to medium heat (375 on an electric skillet), and melt a small amount of butter into it.
 
Dollop a generous serving spoon of batter onto the pan for each pancake. Do not crowd the cakes in your pan.
 
Turn the pancakes after a minute or two, when they are nice and bubbly on the surface and easy to lift. Add a bit more butter as needed to prevent sticking. Remove and serve with butter and warm maple syrup. 

Makes about 12 pancakes.

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9 Responses to “Mystery Apple Pancakes”

  1. Yum! I love that there are chopped apples inside, I bet that adds a wonderful texture surprise-these sound delicious!

  2. Jack Estes says:

    Looks great, Tinky. I think I will love ’em.

    What’s that flower doing on your spatula?

  3. I am now hungry for gluten-free apple pancakes. Neat! Off to FB and Twitter to share. Have a GREAT day.

  4. Grad says:

    Love the nifty flower spatula. Who wouldn’t feel better about getting up early in the morning with such a spatula. I’m going to look for the gluten free flour. King Arthur really is my favorite flour, but sometimes I buy the store brand depending upon the balance in my checkbook. I’m going up to Charlottesville to visit my son and grandson and the trip always includes a trip to the apple orchard. Can’t wait to make these for my boys.

  5. Oh – he looks all sleepy and cuddly …… and in need of Aunt Tinky’s delicious pancakes to set him up for the day!!

  6. tut-tut says:

    They look terrific! I have a friend who found gluten-free Bisquick (or perhaps an equivalent) at a Walmart.

  7. Sue Haas says:

    I made these pancakes yesterday with half all-purpose and half-whole wheat flour. Wonder how the gluten-free flour would be…? I used a Golden Delicious apple and it softened up nicely in the pancake. My husband LOVED these fluffy, cinnamon-y pancakes. Thanks!

  8. tinkyweisblat says:

    EveryDay, the texture is indeed what makes the pancakes; grated apple would just be wet. Jack, I do adore the flower spatula–although it’s not the world’s most practical tool. Frayed, he is indeed a cuddly soul. Grad, have a great reunion–and remember you don’t have to use gluten-free flour (the same goes for you, Elizabeth, and thanks for passing along the word). Tut-tut, I’ll keep my eyes out for the Bisquick. Sue, I’m glad to hear they work with other flours; I knew they would!

  9. Nan says:

    I will be making these very soon. They sound and look delicious!! What a great, great blog you have!