Puffy Apple Oven Pancakes from Karen H.

"Doesn't look pretty but the kids said it was the best..."--Karen H.

Puffy Apple Oven Pancake

Eat this pancake while its still warm and puffy!

1 small apple
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch glass pie dish with butter.

Peel the apple, then cut it into quarters and core. Using a small knife, cut the apple quarters into small chunks.

In a small bowl, using a fork, stir together 2 tablespoons of the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Add the apple chunks and toss with the fork until the pieces are evenly coated with the cinnamon-sugar. Pour the apple chunks into the prepared dish, spreading them out evenly with the fork. Set aside.

In a blender, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, the eggs, milk, flour and vanilla.

Blend on medium speed until all the ingredients are well mixed and frothy, about 1 minute.

Put the dish in the oven and bake the apple chunks for 5 minutes. Carefully pull out the oven rack until the dish is visible. Do not remove the dish. Pour the batter evenly over the apples. Slide the rack back into the oven and close the oven door.

Bake the pancake until puffed and brown, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove the dish from the oven and set it on a wire cooling rack. Dust the pancake with confectioners sugar using a fine-mesh sieve. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. Serves 8.

Whole Wheat Pancakes from Karen H.

"This is a small version that we always double so we can snack on it throughout the day. Feel free to triple it!"--Karen H.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
2 T vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup yogurt or buttermilk -- I use the Stonyfield Farm French vanilla whole milk yogurt. There isn't any sweetener in this recipe so this provides enough sweetness. I've made this with buttermilk before, but it would need a Tablespoon of sugar if you use buttermilk.

Preheat griddle. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients in a large bowl. When griddle or pan is hot enough, spoon on the pancake batter. Flip when tops bubble a bit.

Serve with applesauce or real maple syrup!

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes from Karen A.

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes

Mix together dry ingredients:

1 1/4 c. unbleached flour
3 T. sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 t. salt

Whisk together:

1 1/3 c. whole milk
3/4 c. pureed pumpkin (canned or fresh)
4 large egg yolks (reserve whites)
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 t. vanilla extract

Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold white into batter in 2 additions.Heat griddle with a little oil or butter. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto hot griddle and turn once, after bubbles form over top. Serve immediately.

"Pancakes with an extra kick" from Karen A.

"I think these are best with pure maple syrup!"--Karen A.

Three Grain Pancakes

Make a dry mixture of the following ingredients. Of course this can be made well in advance of cook time.

1/2 c. yellow corn meal
1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 c. whole-wheat flour
1 c. rolled oats
2 T. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. sugar (optional)

Mix the following wet ingredients and then add to the dry ones, stirring just enough to blend. [This can be done the night before.]

3 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
2/3 c. corn oil (or other vegetable oil)

Spray a hot griddle with non-stick spray, or melt a bit of butter and spread around. Drop pancake mixture by tablespoonfuls onto the griddle. Turn only once, when the tops of the pancakes are covered with bubbles. Remove to a warm plate when they are browned on the bottom. Serve immediately with maple or fruit syrup and/or applesauce.