Pineapple Upside down Pancakes with Cherry Almond Syrup!
These pancakes are a new fan favorite. I took the concept of a Pineapple Upside Down Cake and applied it to sourdough pancakes, with delicious results. These are easy to make and a much healthier choice than a sugary, dense cake! The pancake has the pineapple ingredient, and the syrup actually adds the rest of the 'upside down' flavor with the addition of cherry and almond. Healthy dessert for breakfast? Always.
You're not supposed to go to the grocery store when you're hungry. This is a rule that I know well, and one that I try my best to follow. So how I ended up at the store after completing a 9 mile training run was a terrible accident. I'm not even certain what I went in to grab, but I walked out with an odd assortment of items, including an entire pineapple. Could be worse, right? Pineapples are in season so it wasn't a super expensive splurge, but given how terrible I am at cutting up pineapples to eat, I could have gone with something a little more straight forward.
Anyway, once I was home, I had a 'now what?' moment. I have one other pineapple recipe: Pineapple Pico de Gallo, but I wanted to try something new. Pineapple cake? Sounds like a lot of effort. Pineapple pancake? Sounds like way less effort, and therefore more my style.
I already have a super simple sourdough pancake recipe, but I've been playing around with it, and recently started adding buckwheat flour. It adds a nutty flavor, a bit of density to the cakes, and adds more fiber and iron. See below how to put this pretty easy breakfast together! I wrote that this is 'easy prep' which it should be providing you're more adept at cutting a pineapple than I am.
Quick, Easy Prep
Makes 9-10 medium sized pancakes
What You Need:
1 Cup Sourdough Starter, Fed
1/2 Cup Buckwheat Flour
Up to 3/4 cup water (This depends on the state of your starter. If it's liquidy, you'll need less, but if it's more dense you will need the whole thing.)
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup pineapple, thinly sliced
For the Syrup:
1 cup cherries, defrosted if frozen
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons honey/agave
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Directions:
Step One: Put a pan over medium heat on your stove top. I use my cast iron skillet, which works well. Because it is cast iron I do keep it seasoned with oil, which I recommend because like all pancakes, these will stick to the pan surface.
Step Two: Mix all of your ingredients except the pineapple. With the water, just add a little at a time until you have a thick batter. You don't want it to be chunky, but you also don't want it to be too thin. It should stick to the spoon as you stir. If you feel like you went overboard and it is too thin, just add a tablespoon more of buckwheat flour. Leave the mixture to sit for about five minutes to combine. It will start to bubble as the sourdough starts activating.
Step Three: Ladle batter onto the heated pan into circles with about a four inches circumference. They will spread a little!
Step Four: After a few minutes, put your pineapple chunks on top of the pancakes. You want them to be cooked enough on the one side that the pineapple won't sink through.
Step Five: After about a minute with the pineapple sitting on top, flip! Wait another few minutes and pull this batch off the pan and start with another set.
Step Six: The syrup is easy: Just combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, then pour and serve! If you need to take a fancy photo, put some in a shot glass. If you don't, just pour it on your pancakes like a normal human being.
This recipe makes about 9-10 pancakes, which is enough for two hungry people. Increase or decrease accordingly!
