packing on the pancakes: apple pancakes for two

A couple of weekends ago, some friends and I, drove out into the country in search of fancy apples. Last year, at the UBC Apple Festival, I had my first taste of a Belle de Boskoop and I was hooked. It was tart and crisp and so beautiful and I wanted some of my very own. I did a ton of online searching and couldn't find a local grower or any grower period. When I made stops at grocery stores while on trips, I always perused the apple selection just hoping for a sight of that russet beauty. Nothing. Then, I picked up a local guide to farms around the area, and sure enough, Belle de Boskoops were available at an orchard in Langley. I emailed them and they got back to me saying that they only had a few left. When we arrived, I bought a bag full, even though they were past the point of perfection. Sure, they were less crisp than I would have liked, but they still packed a wallop of flavour. And when I described my quest for the perfect apple to one of the owners - that it had to be tart, crisp and juicy - he came back with just the thing: the Sundance. Well, those are my eatin' apples. The Belles, I left for something else entirely. Like these apple pancakes.


And oh, these apple pancakes are perfect. Fluffy and tiny and oh so appley! They are like little apple fritters and perfect for a lazy weekend morning. Whenever I make pancakes, I always end up making too much and while left over batter isn't the worst thing in the world, I wanted these to be enjoyed just once. It's winter you know and I shouldn't be packing on the pancakes. So I just made enough for the husband and me, but please feel free to double up and make enough for an entire family.


apple pancakes for 2
1 egg
3/4 c buttermilk
1 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 t brown sugar
2 small tart apples, grated (I leave the skin on)
1 T butter for frying

Whisk together the egg and buttermilk and set aside. In a larger bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, spices, salt and brown sugar. Dump in the milk/egg mixture along with the grated apples and combine until just blended. Don't over mix. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes. Heat butter in a cast iron pan and drop batter by the tablespoon, as you want to create silver dollar sized pancakes. Once the pancakes bubble up, flip and fry until both sides are golden. Repeat until all the batter is used up. Serve with maple syrup. This recipe should garner about 10 little pancakes.