PotW: Apple Pie Pancakes

[last week's PotW: Brown butter pumpkin pancakes with bourbon mascarpone cream]

Like pumpkin pie, apple pie is on my list of Staple Desserts of the Holiday Season.  I can't get through November and December without apple pie!  So, when I had a bunch of small home-grown apples to use up this week, I thought: what about apple pie pancakes???

Yes!  you CAN make apple pie into a legitimate breakfast.  :-P  (Not that I don't already when I have the real deal lying around.)

There's also no better accompaniment to apple pie than a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top of a hot-out-of-the-oven slice of pie.  But, my freezer was stocked to the brim with pumpkin cheesecake and coffee ice creams.  So, instead, these pancakes are super vanilla pancakes to make up for the lack of vanilla ice cream.

I caramelized the apples first before baking them in the oven with a sugar crumb topping, adding extra depth and sweetness to the flavor.  These pancakes were most definitely an ultra-indulgent way to start the weekend.  :-)

Read on for recipe...

Note: a great alternative to these pancakes would be to make regular pancakes, the apple pie topping, and serve with vanilla ice cream.  That's what I would have done had I had the proper ice cream!

Caramelized Apple Pie Vanilla Pancakes
makes about 18-20 silver dollar pancakes

for topping:
4 large granny smith apples (I had a smaller, sweeter variety, but I think that the tartness of the granny smiths will do better.  Feel free to experiment, though!)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbspn brandy, opt.
splash of heavy cream

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Peel and core apples.  Slice and chop into ~1-2" pieces.
3. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine apples, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, brandy, and cream.  Bring to a boil and cook without stirring until the mixture reduces and sugar is caramelized and creates a thick glaze over the apples.
4. Meanwhile, combine in a separate bowl the flour and remaining sugar.  Cut in 1/3 cup butter and use a pastry cutter to combine until the butter is distributed throughout the flour and sugar in small pebble-sized pieces.
5. Pour the caramelized apples into an oven-safe pie plate.  Top with the flour and sugar mixture.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until the topping is golden yellow.  Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, make the pancakes:

for pancakes:
8 oz. buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 Tbspn vanilla (or, use 1 tspn vanilla and cut and scrape a vanilla bean into the batter)
8 oz. flour
1 1/2 tspn sugar (even better: use vanilla sugar!)
2 tspn baking powder
1 tspn salt

1. Combine buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla in a bowl and whisk thoroughly.
2. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
3. Oil lightly a medium hot skillet and cook the pancakes.
4. Top the pancakes with the baked apples and crumb topping and serve while hot.


Enjoy!