Banana
Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup
Makes 8 Servings
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted & cooled
• 3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 2 cups blueberry maple syrup
• Cooking oil or
vegetable oil
to coat pan, as needed
• Powdered sugar for garnish
• Blueberries for garnish
1. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder,
baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of
the flour mixture.
2. In a separate bowl, blend the
buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture
and stir by hand just until the batter is evenly moistened. The batter is ready
to use or may be stored covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.
3. Heat a large skillet or griddle over
medium-high heat. Oil it lightly by brushing or spraying with cooking oil. Just
before making the pancakes, fold the bananas
into the batter. Drop the pancake batter into the hot pan by large
spoonfuls, about 1/4 cup. Leave about 2 inches between the pancakes to allow
them to spread and to make turning easier.
4. Cook on the first side until small bubbles appear on the upper surface
of the pancake and the edges are set, about 2 minutes. Use an offset
spatula or a palette knife to turn the pancakes and finish cooking on
the second side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust the temperature beneath the
skillet or griddle to produce a good brown color.
5. Serve at once, dusted with powdered
sugar and garnished with blueberries, and accompanied by the blueberry maple
syrup.
Makes 2
Cups
• 4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 cup maple syrup
1. Combine the blueberries and lemon zest
in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until most of the juice has been released and the
mixture develops a sauce-like consistency, about 10 minutes.
2. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh
sieve into a clean saucepan, making sure to press all of the juice out of the
blueberry mixture. Return the juice to a simmer and add the maple syrup. Simmer
over low heat until the syrup is slightly reduced and thickened, about 10
minutes.
3. The syrup is ready to serve now, or it
can be cooled and stored in a container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Reheat over low heat or in the microwave.
n For a more rustic texture similar to
that of a fruit topping, the straining step can be skipped. In that case,
simply add the maple syrup once the blueberries and their liquid have a soft,
jamlike texture.