House in the Heights: What We Ate {Banana Pecan Pancakes with Maple Butter}

Monday, January 6, 2014

What We Ate {Banana Pecan Pancakes with Maple Butter}

Can't you see that it's just ~~raining~~ snowing? There ain't no need to go outside.

I had a little Jack Johnson moment on Friday when school was closed for a snow day. Inspired by some intriguing pancake varieties encountered during our trip to Erie last week, (which is currently the snowiest city in America. Lovely.) I used my unexpectedly free morning to create a fabulous batch of banana pancakes using pancake mix and some other yummy additions.

They were SO GOOD. Which is saying a lot coming from me, because I don't even like bananas very much. I'm all about the texture of foods, and bananas have a texture that is just not for me. In fact, I wanted to recreate a version of the pumpkin pancakes that Mr. M. ordered one day at breakfast. But, alas, we did not have any pumpkin. So inspired by my man Jack, I went with banana pancakes instead.

I may not be crazy about bananas on their own, but mixed into some fluffy pancakes with banana-bread-like spices, sprinkled with pecans and topped with some yummy maple-butter? Yum. Count me in. Every time.

Banana Pecan Pancakes with Maple Butter

For Pancakes

2 bananas, mashed

1 banana sliced

1/2 cup crushed pecans

1 1/2 cups complete pancake mix

1 1/4 cup milk (I used almond milk, but I think any kind would be fine)

1 egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus some for sprinkling

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

For Maple Butter

1/4 cup butter (or margarine, which is what I used)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat griddle while mixing up pancake mix. A very hot griddle is key to a fluffy pancake.

Mash two bananas in a mixing bowl, and then add in pancake mix, milk, beaten egg and spices. Stir until combined.

Ladle pancake mix onto hot griddle, sprinkle with banana slices and crushed pecans.

Cook until the pancake has bubbles throughout the entire cake and has firmed up enough to flip. Flip and cook other side to golden brown. Remove from griddle and serve with maple butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

To make maple butter, whip butter and maple syrup together with a fork.