Sunday Morning: Banana Pancakes for Two

Growing up, my mother always made elaborate breakfasts on the weekends. It was unusual for me to not have had friends spend the night and "Betty Crocker" would always have something cooking. My nose would wake up long before my eyes would open. I think my friends always stayed over because of the breakfasts. I'm am almost certain their mother's didn't cook and if they did it wasn't happening first thing in the morning. I was never a fan of breakfast.

As I got older I became a person who enjoys a good Sunday brunch. My first introduction to the greatest invention ever, "Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar", was in Atlanta around the time of the Beer Butt Chicken. The same friend took me out for Sunday brunch and a Bloody Mary. There was a jazz band playing and if memory serves me right, I think the place was called the Newsroom though I don't think it was related to the one in LA. It was fantastic. You picked your vodka and they gave you a tall glass of it on ice and then you went upstairs to an area that had tables of mixers, spices, garnishes etc. It was all a girl could ask for on a Sunday morning. It has since become more common, yet at the time I had never seen anything like it. I'm more of a mimosa girl these days but what I wouldn't give to see a Bloody Mary Bar like that one again.

Realizing today was Sunday and that I wasn't going to drive downtown to the only Lutheran church within an hour, I decided to make breakfast. Thanks to the Jack Johnson song, I love Banana Pancakes. The recipe that follows I had designed for one person but I am not a big eater so I think it can be stretched to feed two.

Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes

1/2 cup pastry flour (cake flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp sugar
pinch good salt
pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg white
splash of vanilla or almond extract
1 banana sliced
Toasted pecans or anything else you like for garnish
Maple Syrup

Mix together the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and spice. In a separate bowl whisk the buttermilk, egg white, and extract. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Set aside.
Heat a non-stick pan and then spray with canola oil spray or put in a dab of butter. Pour the batter into the heated pan and top pancakes with sliced bananas. When the pancake starts to have little bubbles, flip it over and cook it until its done. It will be pretty quick. Top with additional sliced bananas, pecans, syrup or whatever you like. The recipe yields 4-5 decent size pancakes. You can double it to feed more hungry house guests.