Banana Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup

Banana Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup
By: The Culinary Institute of America Breakfasts & Brunches

2 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cup buttermilk
4 large eggs
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
Cooking spray or vegetable oil to coat pan, as needed
¾ cup mashed ripe bananas
Powdered sugar for garnish
Blueberries for garnish
2 cups Blueberry Maple Syrup (recipe follows)

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, blend the buttermilk, eggs and butter. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir by hand just until the batter is evenly moistened. The batter is ready to use or may be stored covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Oil it lightly by brushing or spraying with cooking oil. Just before making the pancakes, fold the bananas into the batter. Drop the pancake batter into the hot pan by large spoonfuls, about ¼ cup. Leave about 2 inches between the pancakes to allow them to spread and to make turning easier.

Cook on the first side until small bubbles appear on the upper surface of the pancake and the edges are set, about 2 minutes. Use an offset spatula to turn the pancakes and finish cooking on the second side, another 2-3 minutes. Adjust the temperature beneath the skillet or griddle to produce a good brown color.

Serve at once, dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with blueberries, accompanied by the blueberry maple syrup.

Makes 8 servings




Blueberry Maple Syrup:
4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup maple syrup

Combine the blueberries and lemon zest in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the juice has been released and the mixture develops a saucelike consistency, about 10 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, making sure to press all of the juice out of the blueberry mixture. Return the juice to a simmer and add the maple syrup. Simmer over low heat until the syrup is slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes.

The syrup is ready to serve now, or it can be cooled and stored in a container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Reheat over low heat or in the microwave.

Makes 2 cups