Apple Pancakes

I thought I might like to make apple fritters, then I looked at a recipe and decided that was more calories than I had in mind.  Meanwhile, I kind of had my heart set on using apples for breakfast and ended up with this.

Yes, I did get out the food processor at 4am to shred apples.  (Equivalent to 7am for a normal person.)  That meant doing a lot of breakfast dishes at 5am.  You could dice the apples very small and get a slightly chunky pancake, like the bacon & apple ones.  I preferred the way the apples cook and melt into the batter when they are shredded.  It makes for a very moist pancake.  You also don't have to cook them before putting them into the batter.

I happened to have Gala apples on hand, so I didn't use much sugar.  If you use Granny Smith or a similar tart baking apple, use at least 1 Tb of sugar or to taste.  If you opt for butter instead of margarine, add 1/8 tsp of salt.  I didn't want the butter to firm up against the cold ingredients and get clumpy.

2 medium to tart apples
1 C milk
1 egg
1/4 C margarine, melted
1 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sugar, or to taste
oil for the pan

1. Shred or grate apples.  The food processor is the easiest way.

2.  Combine apples, milk, egg, and margarine.  In a separate bowl, combine flour baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar.  Stir dry ingredients into wet and stir until just moistened.  Let sit while the griddle is heating.

3.  Lightly oil a griddle or skillet and preheat over medium.  Spoon or pour about 1/4 C of batter for each pancake.  Cook until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes.  It won't get "golden" because of the cinnamon.  Flip and cook the other side about 1 minute.  Re-oil skillet as necessary.

Serves 4 to 6

Difficulty rating  π