Pancake Fridays: Pie Pancakes

Sooooo…you have some leftovers today.

You probably ate a lot yesterday. You probably stuffed yourself with mashed potatoes and green beans and turkey with gravy, Parker house dinner rolls and turkey-shaped butter, maybe some carmelized roasted vegetables and salad with herbs, quinoa and black beans if you were lucky.

Then you probably went back for a round two, of pumpkin pie, cherry pie and maybe apple, or even chocolate, not to mention the three types of ice cream that showed up out of nowhere. Um, why?

So you probably don’t feel like a hefty breakfast today.

But on the off chance that, you know, you actually ate like a normal person yesterday and saved room because you knew Pancake Friday was coming, here’s what you’re going to do to make the most awesome post-Thanksgiving brunch. Ever.

Notes

My bestest bestie best healthy baking friend S came back from my hometown where she now works to her hometown where I now work. Confusing? Basically, we are reunited (you may remember her from this) and she brought a pancake recipe with her that is SO. GOOD. Like, it rivals Le Peep. Like, I feel like I could end the Pancake Friday series right now because I’ve already found the one. No need to have any other pancake recipes, ever. Just this.

S had fond memories of these pancakes from childhood and managed to snag the recipe from her friend who made them. Worth every letter typed in that facebook message.

These pancakes are extremely puffy given the low ratio of liquid to dry ingredients. The recipe originally called for half a stick of butter, but we made two batches and liked them equally with half the butter. We used white whole wheat flour and loved the results, but S’s friend likes to double the batch and use 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour.

The powdered sugar is key. Don’t try to make these without it. Regular sugar will not do the trick.

Lastly, if you’re using leftover pie that would not go well with cinnamon, leave it out! And if you don’t have pie, you can still make these, just without the pie 😉

 
{leftover} Pie Pancakes
Base based on S’s friend’s recipe

Yield: 8-10 pancakes

2/3 cup milk (your choice)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup flour (any kind/combo, but white whole wheat is great!)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
cinnamon to taste (optional)
1/2 cup leftover pie, cut into 1/2″ chunks

In a large bowl, combine milk, egg, melted butter, flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and cinnamon, if using. Use a fork to stir until well combined (lumps are not necessary; batter should be thick and smooth). Gently fold in the pie chunks.

Heat a lightly greased pan over medium heat for at least two minutes before cooking. Pour batter into pan 1/4 cup or less at a time. Batter should be extremely thick and  hard to pour; they should cook about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Place finished pancakes in a 200 F oven to keep warm if that’s your thing, or let your relatives demolish them hot off the platter with butter and syrup. And more pie, obviously.