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Banana Pancakes

Source of Recipe

From "Once Upon A Chef" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and delicately flavored with bananas and vanilla—these are amazing pancakes. The recipe, believe it or not, is adapted from Williams-Sonoma's The Kid's Cookbook, so you know they're simple to make. I like to top them with a heap of fresh sliced bananas to dress them up and hint at what's inside."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 tablespoons sugar
â—¦ 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 small, overripe banana (the browner, the better)
â—¦ 2 eggs
â—¦ 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
â—¦ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
â—¦ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
â—¦ Unsalted butter, for frying
â—¦ Vegetable oil, for frying
â—¦ Pure maple syrup and sliced bananas (optional), for serving


Recipe

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, mash the banana with a fork until almost smooth. Whisk in the eggs. Add the milk and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Pour the banana mixture and melted butter into the flour mixture. Fold the batter gently with a rubber spatula until just blended; do not overmix. The batter should be thick and a bit lumpy.

Set a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Put ½ tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil on the griddle and swirl it around until the butter is melted. Using a 2-ounce ladle or ¼-cup dry measure, drop the batter onto the griddle, spacing the pancakes about 2 inches apart. Cook until a few holes form on the top of each pancake and the undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are puffed, 1 to 2 minutes. Using the spatula, transfer the pancakes to a warm serving plate.

Wipe the griddle clean with paper towels, add more butter and oil, and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the pancakes while still hot, topped with maple syrup and sliced bananas, if using.

Makes twelve 4-inch pancakes