Pancakes Two Ways

I love pancakes and I'm always trying to find new and exciting ways to make them. Recently, I decided to make not one, but two new recipes when I made breakfast for dinner. Breakfast for dinner is probably one of my favorite meals! It doesn't even matter what the breakfast is, so long as it is served at dinnertime.

Anyway, I wanted to make green tea pancakes with the brand-new container of matcha powder that I bought not too long ago. I had worked with matcha powder years ago, when I was an employee of Starbucks. It's basically very finely ground Japanese green tea, and it contains a lot of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for a powerfully healthy kick. In addition, it imparts such a lovely green shade to anything you add it to (as I'm sure you can tell from my pictures).



Now that I had my first type of pancake, I had to come up with one more. I figured my children weren't going to eat the green tea pancakes, and I was right. So what would I make for them that would be a big winner?

Cinnamon pancakes, that's what! My kids are gigantic cinnamon fans. I mean, just enormous. I'm almost inclined to start sprinkling cinnamon on their veggies, just to see if they'll be more enthusiastic about eating them! Not a bad idea....



So I had my two ideas, and I was ready to start mixing up ingredients. I was fortunate enough to find two successful recipes on other blogs. The green tea pancakes came from justJENNrecipes, and the cinnamon pancakes were found on Sugarlaws. Go check both of them out if you get the chance; both are great!

I didn't want to become too experimental my first time making either, so I stuck pretty close to the original recipes. However, in an attempt to give mine a bit more fiber, I added a bit of wheat bran to each batter. The kids didn't seem to notice, and I thought it gave the pancakes a nice little extra something, an added texture that would otherwise not have been there. I also studded some of them with slivered almonds. I sprinkled a few on the pancakes just before flipping them to their second side. Xander wanted almond faces, but I just wasn't that talented this time. Instead, my almonds are a bit more free-form. Next time, perhaps!



As expected, my kids did love the cinnamon variation. They are especially good with a bit of cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, along with the maple syrup. It's almost like dessert.

And the green tea pancakes were a hit as well! When Andy first saw them, he thought I had simply put green food coloring in them, so he was intrigued when he found out that the color came from matcha powder. The green tea flavor is present, but not at all overwhelming. It gave the pancakes a bit of earthiness, mixed with a mild grassy-ness that was subtly sweet. It's hard to describe, but suffice it to say, they were pretty awesome. I think I'd like to make some matcha cookies or a matcha cake for my next green tea endeavor. I just love the taste!




Green Tea Pancakes
adapted from justJennrecipes
makes about 6 large pancakes

Ingredients (Note: I cut the original recipe in half. Also, this includes the variations I made.)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup wheat bran

1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. matcha powder (powdered green tea)

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1/2 Tbsp. Smart Balance 50/50 Blend, melted

slivered almonds, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, wheat bran, baking powder, sugar, and matcha. Add the egg, milk, and butter blend just until combined.

2. Heat a skillet or griddle to medium or medium-low. Grease the pan (or use nonstick cooking spray). Using a 1/4-cup measure, drop scoops of batter onto your pan. Wait until bubbles begin to form and just start popping on the pancake's surface, then add a few slivered almonds to the top, if desired. Flip pancakes, then cook an additional 2-3 minutes on the other side.

3. Remove pancakes to a plate, then serve with whatever pancake toppings you like.

Cinnamon Pancakes

adapted from Sugarlaws

makes about 6 large pancakes

Ingredients (Note: this version includes my own variations.)

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 cup wheat bran

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 egg

1 Tbsp. Smart Balance 50/50 Blend, melted

slivered almonds, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions
1. Combine all the ingredients except the almonds in a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.

2. Heat a skillet or griddle to medium or medium-low. Grease pan (or use nonstick cooking spray). Using a 1/4-cup measure, drop scoops of batter onto your pan. Wait until bubbles start to form and just start popping on the pancake's surface, then add a few slivered almonds to the top, if desired. Flip pancakes, then cook an additional 2-3 minutes on the other side.

3. Remove pancakes to a plate, then serve with whatever pancake toppings you like.