Pancakes And Apples For Breakfast? Yes Please!

Fall is here with all the magnificence of the leaves changing color,  crisp morning air, scent of fresh mown lawns, and warm fireplaces for those chilly nights. In our area of Oregon (out-outskirts of Portland) there is a farm called Bauman Farm that has an annual harvest festival. Locals not only enjoy the festival this time of year, but their farm grown fruits and vegetables year around. Their apples are a favorite during fall and dare I say apple donuts whose just cooked aroma wafts through their grounds and draws you into the store for a taste test, and maybe a bag or two to take home.

Today was one of those days that we just had to cook apples for breakfast. I have made various  apple pancakes, puffs, coffee cakes, etc. This morning we did a quick and easy version of pancakes with apples.

The pancake mixture is simple enough to blend together. I converted this mixture from a waffle recipe (or you can use a pre-packaged pancake mix if you prefer).

 

 

My favorite apple variety since we moved to Oregon is Honey Crisp. However, you could use most any apple in this recipe.

Apple topping

For two servings I cut the pancake recipe in half, and thinly slice one generous sized apple (skin on or peeled off – your preference), lightly sauté it in a pat of butter and add a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon right before you take the apple out of the pan.

Add bacon or sausage if you like and you are ready to dish up your breakfast within minutes! Fun recipe for any fall morning, or brunch anytime of year. If you make your pancakes crêpe-like (thin out the pancake mixture with milk) you can serve this recipe as a dessert, just sprinkle crêpes and apples with powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar.

Now if you want to get fancy you can you can spiral cut/peel the apple and decorate your plate (I like to tie the peels into bows). Our breakfast guests have particularly enjoyed this little touch. If I’m spiral cutting several apples I do this with a hand-cranked apple peeler . I lay them out onto a cookie sheet that has been prepped with cooking spray or non-stick foil. I sprinkle the apple peels with sugar and cinnamon and cook on low in the oven – drying them to a slightly crisp texture. You can use these crisp peels to top ice cream, applesauce, fruit compotes, vegetables, pork, etc., or just eat like candy.