Monkey Cakes! (Banana Nut Pancakes for those of you too afraid to say Monkey Cakes)

 

“Good morning boys, it’s pancake day! ”  I love pancake day! I love how I can stuff a good bit of  nutrition inside, and no one is worse for wear.

My oldest son, however, is not a huge fan. You can see the deflated stance, the glazing over of the eyes and the dejected look of disappointment that only a ten-year old can fully dramatize physically without a single word being spoken. The seven year old, on the other hand, turns into a bouncing ball of excitement when I tell him we’re having pancakes.

I try to mix up the flavors pretty often to keep it fresh and exciting and the boys constantly asking, “What’s in it?” Of course, the seven-year old’s question sounds much different than the ten-year old’s question.

However, I’m pleased to inform you that I have found  a pancake mixture that my ten-year old loves. He actually brightens after the initial question of what’s in it in his best Eeyore voice, when I respond with Monkey Pancakes. I love that my ten-year old still enjoys silly kid names for food. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to pull those off before the teenage angst sets in and the fear of anyone older than four and younger than twenty-two knows that he’s been within a mile of someone calling his food Monkey cakes.

This really isn’t a recipe. I don’t really know why I’m posting it as it’s the super easiest thing to make. But my ten-year old, in his excitement, asked if I was going to put “HIS” Monkey Cakes on the blog soon. How could I turn that excitement away? However, he would not allow me to post the version of him holding the monkey cakes for fear someone might actually see it. (For those of you who  know my ten-year old in real life, knowing how he’s full of life, loves every minute of his day, and eats just about anything – the transformation to dark, Seattle-esque angst over having to eat a pancake is huge, thus my excitement that I can bring him back to a fun-filled, sunshiney day with these pancakes!)

So I give you Monkey Cakes (and the photo with the ten-year old holding said monkey cakes with a sweet smile on his face is much better than this one….but you go with what you have to work with).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONKEY CAKES:

Basic Pancake Recipe

2  really ripe bananas – need to be mashable

1/2 C chopped nuts – use whatever is your favorite fleshy nut, we prefer pecan, you might like walnuts or filberts (I just like saying that word. Try it. It’s fun.)

* Make up your basic pancake recipe

* Fold in mashed bananas gently, only til mixed. You’ll need to judge the consistency of your batter at this point. If it’s pretty thick, you might want to add a little more moisture. If it’s kinda of thin, add just a touch more flour until it’s the way you want it.

*Spoon onto a hot griddle

*Top with maple syrup or honey.

*Enjoy

My ten-year old hopes that you’ll love this recipe as much as he does. He also adds that it’s really NOT a recipe, but just an addition, but it’s the only addition that he fully endorses. He doesn’t endorse the version where you could add some blueberries to make blueberry banana pancakes, or chocolate chips to make banana chocolate chip pancakes. He’s a bit of a purist when it comes to Monkey Cakes. Just don’t mess with his Monkey Cakes.

FYI: Here is the Basic Pancake Recipe we use – Alton Brown’s. You’ll recognize it from about 14 other pancake posts I might have made in the past, but I’m nice today and am reposting it here so you don’t have to click to find it.

Alton Brown’s Instant Pancake Mix

Ingredients

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (check expiration date first)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to mix. Use the mix within 3 months.

Instant Pancake Mix

• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 cups “Instant” Pancake Mix, recipe above

Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.

Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don’t try to work all the lumps out.

“Walk away – just walk away”- AB (seriously, at this point, just let the batter rest for about 10 min while you heat the pan, etc.

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