Apple Pecan Pancakes Recipe for Autumn

Autumn is prime apple time.  The cooking apples I like  (McIntosh and its derivatives) are in season, it's getting cold, and I dust off the recipe and make apple butter, apple pies and, one of my favorites, apple pecan pancakes.
When I make an apple pie, I generally mix the McIntosh apples with hard green cooking apples, since the Mc's tend to get mushy.  I don't have that problem with these pancakes.

Apple Varieties

The ingredients are simple: oatmeal, butter, chopped ripe apples, pecans...  They are substantial but not heavy, since the oatmeal is counteracted by baking powder, which makes them rise.  I tend to be particular about the type of apples I use for this.  My favorite apple overall, for eating and for cooking, is the McIntosh and its derivatives.  

Here is the recipe:

Preheat your oven to 350

Mix together and let sit:
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups boiling water

While letting the oatmeal absorb the water, measure out and thoroughly mix:

photo courtesy of Lyman Orchards

1 cup flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt, or less
1/4 cup sugar

Stir one egg into the oatmeal mixture, which should have cooled slightly.

Then measure out 1 cup of milk.

To the bowl of oatmeal, mix in the flour alternately with the milk, stirring well between.  The mixture will start getting fluffy.

Add
1/4 cup butter, melted, and stir well

Now peel, core and chop three apples.  I prefer any variation on a Macintosh (Paula Reds are the best, but they're early apples and easy to miss)  Granny Smith or any tart green cooking apple works well, too.  Stir them into the batter along with 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
3 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts (optional) chopped
2 tablespoons butter

Heat your griddle, put a pat of butter on it, and measure out the pancake dough by 1/2 cups.  Brown well 0n one side, flip and then brown on the other.  (I'd put the heat down to medium and let them cook slowly.)  Put them on a rack in the over while you cook another batch.

Go for the darker syrup

Serve with butter and good maple syrup.  Grade B (the dark stuff the locals use while they sell the tasteless, light Grade A to the tourists) works well. 


These reheat beautifully.  I put mine in the toaster.


Next time I'll take pictures (I was too busy eating mine...)