Recipe: Apple Pecan Pancakes (using buttermilk)

APPLE PECAN PANCAKES

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups very finely chopped peeled apples
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
vegetable oil (for frying)
warmed maple syrup

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

Preheat a griddle or electric skillet to 350 degrees F (you need this lower temperature so the apples will have time to cook through.)

In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Add the buttermilk, butter, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well until well combined. Fold in the apples and nuts. Allow the mixture to stand for 15 minutes.

Pour about 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil onto the heated griddle. For each cake, drop a scant 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle. Bake until the surface of the pancake is covered with bubbles that do not break, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and brown the other side. Remove to a heated platter and repeat until all the batter is used up.

Serve the pancakes with maple syrup.

Makes about two dozen 3 1/2-inch pancakes, or 8 servings.
Source: Heartland: the Best of the Old and the New From Midwest Kitchens by Marcia Adams