Happy National Pancake Day!

Now we all know that pancakes are the poor man's waffles, but there is a time and place for everything.  There isn't much better than a crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, perfectly seasoned, appropriately sweetened waffle, but pancakes aren't bad.  They are like the less attractive cousin of the waffle.  Like waffle isn't around and you've been drinking and from a certain angle, pancake is lookin gooood!  Fluffy, soft, covered in sticky sweet syrup...  No shame.  Submitted for the approval of the Pancake Society, I call this recipe...

"Pumpkin Beer Pancakes with a Bourbon Apple Compote"

This is gonna be an easy one.  First get your compote going.  I used one granny smith apple (my favorite variety) and one macintosh apple.  I think granny smith would be more appropriate, but I bought some macintosh (they were from NY!  my home state!!) and I didn't like them, so I am trying to use them up, and this seemed less offensive than eating it straight up, but too sweet and mushy for all macintosh.  Wash apples, dice up into small pieces. Put a saucepan on over medium heat. Add a little water, your apples, some cinnamon, some vanilla, some lemon juice, some molasses and white sugar (or brown sugar if you aren't out like me...), and then, the star of the show.... BOURBON!  I used Maker's Mark, of course.  I love that shit!  I did not measure, but it was a lot. Several glugs.  It smelled sooooo good.  Maker's is great, it is warm and has vanilla notes that were perfect for this recipe.  I really enjoy it with Diet Cherry Coke Zero, Diet Dr. Pepper, or plain old Diet Coke.  Or on the rocks!  But I think it has enough sweetness on its own that putting it in real Coke is too much. Anyway, back to the smell.  I wish there was a Maker's Mark scented Yankee candle. Ohhhh.  The scent evoked so many memories, so many late nights in Buffalo powered by Maker's and Diet, but I digress, let's get to the pancakes...

Get a box of pancake or baking mix, follow the directions, but replace the milk or water with PUMPKIN BEER!  I used Shock Top.  Add some vanilla extract and ground cinnamon to make it tastier and to make you feel less bad about making pancakes from a mix.  Add to taste, maybe a teaspoon each, whatever.  You could totally use a real pancake recipe, it would work fine, perhaps be even better!  I was gonna make from scratch pancakes with pumpkin beer and actual pumpkin, but I'm out of pumpkin, boo!

So your compote is a bubblin by now.  Put some cornstarch in a glass, maybe a tablespoon or more, add a bit of cold water and mix it up until it is very smooth.  Add a tiny bit at a time to the compote until the desired thickness is achieved.

Now put it all together!!

Look at those stank lines!  Yum

I remembered the mug!  

Happy holidays,

JDB