Barefoot Bloggers: MY TURN To Burn (Hopefully Not) Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
A few years ago I was obsessed with Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill. I always wanted to go there after work for happy hour so I could feed my addiction. I’d enlist my friend Carey to go with me and i’d usually get there before him so i’d sit at the bar, have a drink, chat with the bartenders… and watch none other than the Barefoot Contessa on the TV. I always thought that was a funny choice to show at a bar, but of course the choice worked for me. One episode in particular caught my eye… the one that featured Banana Sour Cream Pancakes. I was interested because they looked really good and I have a weak spot for all breakfast foods, but I always had a fear of making pancakes at home. This fear was directly related to the fact that I somehow managed to burn every single batch I ever tried to make. Besides, it always seemed easier to just leave the whole thing up to the pros… you know, I.H.O.P. and Denny’s.
Anyway, the pancakes stayed in the back of my mind as something I would like to try one day anyway. Since it was my turn to choose the first 2009 recipe for the Barefoot Bloggers, I wanted to select a recipe that wasn’t going to be a lot of steps or take a lot of time since it was right after the holiday season. I also didn’t want it to cost a lot of money or spur a huge trip to the grocery store. I figured that these pancakes would be the perfect thing since most cooks and bakers would have nearly every ingredient on hand, minus one or two things at the most. Plus, we hadn’t really had a breakfast recipe (not counting two Bonus Challenges) since the very beginning of the group.
The process: One thing that surprised me was how thick the batter was. It was so thick that I thought I did something wrong. Never fear, that was how it was supposed to be. It made ladling them out and shaping them a little tricky since the batter doesn’t spread easily. I confessed my pancake burning fears to my boyfriend and of course he got to witness them in action as the first try went down in flames. He showed me his trick: Instead of cooking one side for 2 or 3 minutes until the bubbles rise to the top, constantly flip them. 30 seconds… flip. 30 seconds… flip. For me, I found that was the way to go and it made things a lot less stressful. After that first scorch, there was not another burnt pancake to throw in the trash.
My Thoughts: The taste of these were really good. They were really thick pancakes with bananas baked in and spooned over the top as an added bonus. Sadly, I couldn’t really identify the sour cream or lemon that much but I won’t doubt it contributed to the overall awesomeness.
I used good old Mrs. Butterworth’s instead of pure maple syrup due to the difference in costs.
I used three “kid” or “juniors” bananas instead of regular size so I could get this cool Donald Duck sticker.
I’m glad I got the chance to finally make these Banana Sour Cream Pancakes, they were a huge success at my house and I will make them again for sure. I’m also glad I got to make them with the Barefoot Bloggers and hope all of you who tried them were pleased. Many thanks to Tara for hosting such a wonderful group for the last seven months. I look forward to seeing what this new year brings for the Barefoot Bloggers and all the good stuff of Ina’s we’ll be making!
Next time on the Barefoot Bloggers, it’s another breakfast recipe – Melissa from Made by Melissa chose Easy Sticky Buns.
Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
Cookbook: 2003′s Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Show: Barefoot Contessa Episode: Back to School
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Unsalted butter
2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
Pure maple syrup
Directions
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.
