Dinner with Kirsten

On weekend mornings when I don’t make pancakes, Geoff invariably pops Trader Joe’s frozen banana waffles into the toaster. For frozen waffles, I have to admit they’re very good. That’s how I knew this recipe from The Pancake Handbook would be outstanding.

Sour Cream stands in as a rich substitute for buttermilk in this recipe, and the bananas add flavor and moistness. The key to this recipe’s greatness is mashing half the bananas and chopping the other half. That way you have the banana flavor mixed throughout, but also distinct slivers of banana. It’s amazing.

If you have any pancakes leftover, just put them in a Zip-lock bag and keep them in the fridge for a snack later in the day. I discovered that they’re good cold and syrup-less as a grab-and-go snack.

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
Adapted from The Pancake Handbook

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2 ripe bananas, 1 thinly sliced and the other mashed up
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (if you have them on hand)

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Lightly beat the eggs, sour cream, milk and butter in a separate bowl, then add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Stir in the sliced and the mashed bananas and the walnuts. (This is a lumpy and thick batter, so don’t over-mix trying to smooth it out.) Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes.

Heat your griddle or skillet (electric griddles to 375 degrees) and portion out 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook until lightly browned on the underside and bubbles cover the surface, then flip and cook for a few minutes more to brown the other side.

Enjoy with butter and maple syrup!