Banana Nut Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

Long ago, when I lived in Southern California, my friend Rebecca and I went on a valiant search for the best pancakes. We ate lots and lots of pancakes. Many a Saturday or Sunday morning was spent squished into a booth or patiently waiting in line at a diner, wondering if we’d find the pancakes.

For a while, the pancakes at Babalu’s in Santa Monica were contenders, but then we discovered Coyote Grill in Laguna Beach and knew we were home. See, we adored banana pancakes. The ones at Babalu had bananas sliced on top, which was good. But Coyote Grill cooked bananas into their cakes and that was the best. Plus, Coyote Grill was located just a few doors down from my boyfriend (now husband). What could be better?

Recently I’ve been playing around with different flours and almond flour is emerging as a favorite. I enjoy its nutty flavor and moist texture, plus it’s loaded with protein. Perfect to start the day! So when a pancake craving hit, I started stirring some batter with almond flour.

This is a simple batter to mix up. Some almond flour, eggs, milk (I use either whole or almond), maple syrup, vanilla and olive oil come together quickly and you’re frying in no time. Of course, there are mashed bananas in there, too!

Hot out of the skillet, these pancakes are tender and infused with banana goodness. I like to drizzle mine with pure maple syrup or sometimes a dollop of thick yogurt. This time, though, I made blueberry compote to accompany them since my second favorite kind of pancakes are blueberry. A happy morning indeed!

Banana Nut Pancakes
Makes 6 - 4 inch pancakes

1 1/4 cups almond flour (I use blanched almond flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk of your choice (I use whole or almond milk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1/4 cup ripe banana, well mashed
Butter or coconut oil for frying pancakes
Blueberry Compote for serving (recipe follows)
Greek Yogurt for serving

In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir the almond flour and baking powder together. In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, measure the milk and then add the eggs, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup and mashed banana. Whisk the wet ingredients together until well mixed and then stir into the almond flour until just mixed.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and melt a bit of butter or coconut oil in it. Scoop 1/4 cup amounts of batter into the pan (as many as will comfortably fit) and fry the pancakes until they are golden and beginning to bubble, about 3-4 minutes. The pancakes are a bit delicate, so very gently lift around the edges of each one and flip to cook on the other side, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and finish frying any remaining batter. Serve with Blueberry Compote and Greek yogurt.

Blueberry Compote
Makes 2/3 cup

2 cups organic blueberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, do not defrost)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and let simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Serve warm or room temperature with the pancakes.

This recipe is featured at Foodie Friends Friday.

Frozen Mexican Chocolate Pots

Birthdays are especially fun when you’re heaping attention on someone you love. My husband celebrates his birthday this week and I am excited! Bob makes me laugh every day and with him I feel like life is a celebration – this is a gift he gives me. He is always charging forward and curious about what’s new and interesting and just around the corner. His positive attitude inspires me to think about all that is possible in life and I’m beyond grateful to have him by my side.

So what to make for this lovely man for his birthday dinner? Mexican is consistently his top choice so tortilla soup, beef tacos, pickled jalapenos and onions, salsas and grilled hatch chiles are on the menu. For the past few years I’ve made a frozen chocolate confection as his birthday treat. It’s more of a semi-freddo or frozen mousse than an ice cream, and in keeping with the Mexican dinner theme, I heat it up with chili pepper and cinnamon for a warm, spicy kick.

These chocolate pots are not very sweet – I use 85% dark chocolate – so if you prefer a little more sweetness you could add some milk chocolate or use a lower percentage of dark chocolate. While this is a rich, satisfying indulgence, it is made with almond milk in place of cream, so it’s not overwhelmingly heavy (making it a great treat to share with vegan or dairy-sensitive friends).

I have some more happy news: As an extra sweet birthday treat, Maren, our exchange student daughter, will arrive from Norway just in time for Bob’s birthday dinner.  A gift for all of us!

Frozen Mexican Chocolate Pots
Makes 6 small ramekins

3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons chili powder (I use a medium spice level, feel free to increase or decrease for your tastes), plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 cups unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
8 ounces dark chocolate (I use 85%, feel free to use a lower percentage if desired), roughly chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cacao nibs for garnish

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cinnamon, chili powder, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the almond milk and stir occasionally over medium heat until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until it melts and is smooth. Stir in the vanilla and remove from the heat.

Pour the mixture evenly into 6 ramekins. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and pop them in the freezer for at least 6 hours. They can be made a few days ahead.

About 30-40 minutes before serving, remove the chocolate pots and let them sit out at room temperature. They need to start thawing to be soft enough to begin eating. Sprinkle a little chili powder and a few cacao nibs on each to garnish and serve.