Chocolate-chip Pancakes & New Blog

Hi Everyone,

I know, it's been exactly 3 weeks since I lasted posted on my blog. It's the same ole excuses - work and life. I'm currently trying to streamline some things so that I am not rushing from one deadline to another. Wish me luck.

My mom used to make pancakes often for us when we were growing up. I was always unhappy when she did because I never liked pancakes. Isn't it crazy how our taste-buds change as we grow older? These days I find myself making pancakes often and absolutely loving it. I'm enjoying all the things that one can add to the batter from chocolate chips (like above and below), to bananas, grated apples and guava puree. Not to mention the various berries! Instead of ground cinnamon which we traditionally put in pancakes (at least in our home), I've been making mine with ground cardamom too, sometimes a hint of all spice, or a pinch of nutmeg. Any citrus I have at hand, the zest gets tossed in too - grapefruit, orange, lime, lemon or tangerine. I'm really having fun with the pancakes. Tomorrow, I'm going to make some with freshly grated pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. Yum!

Chocolate-chip Pancakes & Sauteed Bananas

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 - 5

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons white sugar

A pinch salt

A pinch ground cinnamon

1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten

3/4 cup whole milk (substitute with water)

2 heaped tablespoons chocolate chips (semi-sweet or regular)

Canola oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon to a bowl and mix together.
2. Add egg and milk to make a batter of dropping consistency (you may need more or less milk/water depending on your location). The batter should not be thin or watery.
3. Cover batter and let rest for at least 1/2 hour. The longer it rests, the higher the pancakes will rise (it's all about science, Alton Brown is better at explaining it).
4. Fold in chocolate chips just before cooking pancakes.
5. Add a few drops of oil to a non-stick pan and swirl. Heat on medium heat. If using a tawah or griddle, heat up pan first then brush with oil.
6. Pour or ladle 1/3 cup of batter in/on to pan and swirl with the back of a spoon. Spread batter to about 4 inches in circle. Let cook until bubbles or holes start to form. Flip pancakes (do not slam down) and let continue cooking until it comes away easily from the pan. Do not press down on pancakes while it is cooking.
7. Remove cooked pancake and place on wire rack or paper towel. Repeat until all the batter is used up. Insert a piece of wax paper between each pancake when it is done cooking to avoiding steaming and sticking.
8. Pancakes can be kept warm in a 200 degrees F oven while you continue making the others.

Sauteed Bananas

INGREDIENTS

2 ripe bananas (average 1 per person), sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons canola or any neutral tasting oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Add butter and oil to a pan and place on medium heat to melt. When the butter starts to froth, add the bananas to the pan, spread them into a single layer, you want each piece to make contact with the pan. Let cook for 1 minute or until it starts to caramelize a little. Flip, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Spoon over pancakes, drizzle with syrup or honey and serve.
3. These sauteed bananas can be served topped on many desserts.

THE NEW BLOG

Long before I got into food blogging, I owned a 34-mm camera. I have always had an interest in photography. The food blog came along and monopolized my attention - taking photographs of all things food related. While I continue to enjoy, learn and revel in food photography, my interests in the medium extends way beyond food. When my friend Susan Wolfe came up with Black & White Wednesdays, it was the push I needed to get going on the other aspects of photography that I like. In order to discipline myself, I have created a blog, Black & White, in which I'll be posting black and white images, many will be especially for Black & White Wednesdays but many will equally be of subjects not food related.

Come over and visit whenever you have the time; the URL is www.cynthiablackandwhite.blogspot.com