Available almost anywhere and relatively inexpensive, apples are an ideal fruit to bake with. Many pastry recipes feature apples – apple pie, apple strudel, apple Danishes and tarts – but if you like to think outside the box when it comes to your breakfasts (or deserts), here’s a fun and easy apple-based recipe that goes great with maple syrup: Apple pancakes.
A little more complex than just a stuffed crepe with apples, this recipe is more like a tarte Tartin, but with a pancake base in place of pastry. This is a perfect recipe for either a lazy Sunday morning brunch, or a late Friday evening dessert – it all depends on what you pair it with.
Apple Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 large apples
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Slice the apples into thin slices and set them aside. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, flour and salt, then put the butter in a baking dish and stick it in your oven at 425 degrees until the butter melts.
Lay the apple slices out in a layer in the buttery dish and put it back in the oven. Leave it there until you can see the melted butter sizzling – the apple slices should be baked soft.
Next, pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over top of it. Pop the whole thing back in the oven and wait 20 minutes for it to cook through nicely.
Use baking apples for this recipe – if the apples you’re using are on the small side, don’t hesitate to use four apples instead of three; this will prevent the recipe from becoming too eggy. And you can never have too much of the main ingredient!
Serve with butter and maple syrup or any other toppings of your choice.
Health Benefits Of Apples
Everyone’s familiar with the age-old phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but evidence really does suggest that a diet high in fruits may decrease your risk of chronic disease. According to a 2004 article in the Nutrition Journal,
“Apples are a widely consumed, rich source of phytochemicals, and epidemiological studies have linked the consumption of apples with reduced risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes.”(1)
The researchers added that,
“In the laboratory, apples have been found to have very strong antioxidant activity, inhibit cancer cell proliferation, decrease lipid oxidation, and lower cholesterol.”
If that’s not reason enough to enjoy an apple-filled desert, who knows what is.