Caring oozes from Jesse Ziff Cool's pen and pans in dishes such as My Mom's Nurturing Soft Cooked Eggs and Old-Fashioned Bread and Butter Pudding, and seductive flavors are evident in elegantly earthy creations such as Smoked Whitefish, Red Onion, and Caper Frittata with Caviar-Chive Sour Cream or Herb-Lemon Zest Popovers, and half a dozen mouth-watering fruit butters. Many of the recipes will work for brunch and light suppers as well as for breakfast, both in and out of bed
Sometimes I stir the bananas right into the batter; other times I cook slices of them on top of these lovely pancakes as below. Use all unbleached white flour for lighter pancakes and 1 1/4 cups unbleached white and 3/4 cup whole wheat for heartier, earthier-tasting ones.
2 generous servings
2 cups flour (see above)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
1 or 2 ripe bananas
Maple syrup, honey, yogurt, or sour cream
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and vegetable oil.
Very gradually add the liquid to the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix or the pancakes will be tough.
Peel and thinly slice the bananas. (If you'd rather garnish the finished pancakes with bananas, wait to slice them.)
Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, and lightly grease it with vegetable oil. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot pan. When the tops of the pancakes begin to bubble, cover them with banana slices. When the pancakes are lightly browned on the bottom, flip them. As they cook through, transfer them to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while you cook the rest of the batter.
Serve warm with maple syrup, honey, yogurt, or sour cream.
DO AHEAD: The batter can be prepared entirely the night before. Or stir together the dry ingredients and store at room temperature. Whisk together the wet ingredients and refrigerate, covered, overnight.
IN THE MORNING (ABOUT 15 minutes): Heat the griddle. Stir together the batter, slice the bananas, and cook the pancakes.
