Goodbye, Bisquick!

I always wondered what, exactly, made up the Bisquick mix contents. The ingredients list was long and complicated, and I knew it couldn't possibly be THAT complex to make pancake mix...so I took the plunge and made up my own. Now, though I often downplay butter's greatness, I do think it's a great idea to use the stuff when making pancakes, either in the actual pancake mix or as a pancake topper. Speaking of pancake toppers, I made an apple topper. I love apples in baked goods, so I tried making the mix a little spicy and apple flavored, but I also wanted apples on top...so here's what I did to make these...


Apple Cinnamon Spice Pancakes
(this recipe makes about 8 medium-sized pancakes)
1 1/2 Cups flour
1/2 TSP baking soda
1/2 TSP salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 TBSP canola oil OR BUTTER, butter is better in this case!
1 Cup milk
1 egg
1 TSP apple pie spice

Mix all this stuff in a bowl, as usual. The mix might be a bit too light for some, but I like thin pancakes. If you want them heartier/thicker, just add 1/4 cup more flour. Cook the pancakes on a low setting, they burn easily! Also, when they're done cooking and still warm, add a tiny teaspoon to the top and let it melt for a better buttery taste. Oh yeah, I also love powdered sugar on pancakes, as if they aren't already sweet enough!

And this is what made up that...


Apple Topping
1 whole apple-- sliced (I used pink ladies because their tartness balances out the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients, but you can use fuji if you want something sweeter)
1 TBSP brown sugar
1/2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP apple sauce
1/3 cup apple juice

To cook the topping, bring all these ingredients to a boil in a sauce pan, then put on a medium setting for about 10 minutes, or until the apples are cooked to your liking--I cooked mine until they were soft. You might also want to add 1 TBSP more of water, if your sauce is thicker than you want it to be.

That's it, folks. Not only will these pancakes give your taste buds a nice morning wake-up call, their sauce will fill your house with a Christmasy-cinnamon smell, like naturally seasonal potpourri :).