Love, Loss and Redemption - Banana Pancakes

Pages

The first time I had banana pancakes, it was a heart-rending disappointment.

The menu had my ten-year-old self dreaming of a delectable banana-scented tower of fluffy golden pancakes, with a flavour like banana bread transmogrified into pancake form, accompanied by a sweet drizzle of syrup and choirs of heavenly angels singing paeans of joy. I was practically bouncing in my seat from the anticipation of it all.

Instead, what the waitress dumped in front of me a few minutes later was a pile of limp made-from-mix pancakes in which a few perfunctory slices of banana had been embedded, along with two little plastic packets of off-brand imitation maple syrup. Instead of angelic choirs, there was only the sound of my dreams of heavenly pancakey deliciousness shattering into a million pieces. It was So. Very. WRONG.

The moral of the story? Never, ever pin your hopes and dreams on a greasy spoon breakfast menu. They lie.

I got my revenge, though. After years of fiddling with different recipes, I finally found The One.

These are the pancakes my ten-year-old self dreamed of on that fateful morning in a sad excuse for a pancake house. Light and fluffy, loaded with fresh banana flavour and a hint of cinnamon in every single bite... and, might I add, nary a slice of banana to be seen. With a drizzle of maple syrup, and perhaps a dollop of whipped cream and a scattering of toasted pecans if you're feeling particularly indulgent, there's really no better way to start your weekend.

Because I'm not ten years old any more, I also add a little flax meal to this recipe. It gives the pancakes a hint of nutty flavour and texture, not to mention a boost of fibre and Omega-3 fats which makes these pancakes as healthy as they are delicious. (OK, fine... maybe not quite that healthy considering they're cooked in butter... but a little healthier nonetheless)

• Banana Pancakes
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal (optional)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp butter, melted (plus more for the griddle)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, flax meal (if using), baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In a second mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until combined. Pour into the bowl of dry ingredients, and stir with a whisk until relatively lump-free.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease lightly with butter. When the butter starts to sizzle, drop in 1/3 cup portions of batter. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until a few bubbles start to form on the surface, then gently flip over and continue cooking until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes longer. Transfer the finished pancakes to a baking tray in a warm oven. Repeat this process until the batter is finished, re-greasing the pan as needed.

Serve the pancakes right away with lots of real maple syrup, and possibly some whipped cream and toasted pecans.

Leftover pancakes can be wrapped with parchment paper and frozen in a zip-seal plastic bag. To serve, reheat the frozen pancakes in a toaster oven.