Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes, Oh my!

What gorgeous morning which is supposed to devolve quickly into thunder showers, but for now I am loving this day.  The Hub and Son2 are on their way to Atlanta ( GO BRAVES!) for a couple of days and Son3 is headed to Chattanooga to work on a mission trip. (His part of the "mission work" involves a trombone, a head full of big band  music and a Nursing Home.  Hope they enjoy it).  Meanwhile on this lovely day I am alone with Shelby, the grand dog.  

Normally I am not a breakfast eater, but I saw a recipe I thought I would try and it was a good time to try it since I could reduce the recipe to one serving size.  I figured if I liked it I could always make it again when others are here, and if I didn't, no one else in my family ever has to try it. 

I admit freely I do not try Rachel Ray's recipes.  It's not that they are unappealing, she is just to blooming perky for me and uses terms like yummo and evoo which I find too cutsy.  Petty on my part? Yes.

 I guess one of the reasons I actually made this was I got to read it instead of having to watch her.  In fact, I didn't even realize it was a R.R. recipe until I clicked back on the website to credit the creator.  No matter, I cooked oatmeal cookie pancakes for breakfast and I liked them.  With a few alterations next time I think I will really like them.

Rachel Ray's Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes


1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large egg1 teaspoon vanilla
2 overripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup raising
1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup melted plus additional for buttering the skillet
syrup or honey for drizzling

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  In another bowl mix the wet ingredients, then whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.  Fold in the mashed bananas and the raisins.  Stir in the melted butter.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat.  When hot melt additional butter in the pan and brush to coat the entire surface.  Scoop 1/3 cup of the batter for each pancake.  Cook until bubbles form on the top of each cake then flip and continue cooking.  Have the oven set to warm and keep pancakes there until all have cooked.  Serve with butter and syrup.

The verdict and changes: I reduced everything by 1/4 to make a single serving of pancakes.  It was honestly enough for The Hub and I to have.  Neither of us like a big stack of pancakes and this made 4 medium size cakes.  I thought they were a little heavy and had a funny mouth feel but the taste was delicious.  When I make these again I will whirl the oats in a blender first to make a coarse oat flour.  I had no sour cream and used plain greek yogurt instead.  It was a perfectly fine substitution, but the batter needed a hint of sour.  I think I will continue with the greek yogurt but use a fat free buttermilk next time.  I am not a big walnut fan so I substituted pecans.  Good choice for me!  In addition to the cinnamon I added a couple of shakes of ginger because I really like the flavor.  Afterwards I thought cinnamon and cardamon might have been a nice combination also.  Let your personal taste dictate what you use.  I also omitted the raisins mainly because I forgot to add them until the first pancake was cooking on the griddle.  After I realized it I just did that "Oh well" thing. They had plenty of flavor without  them, but if I do add them in the future I think I will soak them first.

About the banana...I do not eat bananas___ever!  But I have told everyone I know, it is not the taste, it's the consistency.  Fortunately The Hub eats bananas daily and we often have one banana that is about to ruin.  I stick them with the peel intact in the freezer and use them later to bake banana nut bread or some similar baked good.  It was so nice to be able to pull one out and use it.  All I

had to do was use a sharp knife to remove the peel and then zap it in the microwave for  a few seconds.  I did not really have to do much after that for it to be total mush.

Instead of using regular maple syrup I used something I found a few weeks ago while cleaning out the pantry. It is called Berryhill Maple Praline syrup. I don't remember buying it so I have no idea which store to mention.  Maybe The Hub bought it on one of his afternoon Publix stops.  It was the perfect flavor to go with these pancakes . Hurray for whichever one of use brought it home!  I will definately use it again for something!

If you like pancakes you will probably love these.  I am pancake indifferent and I thought they were good!  Now off to swim before the weather changes.  I wonder how many laps I will have to swim to neutralize the effects of this.