Cooking for Aiden – He Loves Buttermilk Banana Pancakes

Ina Garten cooks for Jeffrey, her husband. In fact, she called one of her cookbooks, “Cooking for Jeffrey.” I find this couple so adorable and charming. In following Ina, it seems she has lots of fancy dinner parties where she serves up her delicious recipes to friends. So she doesn’t just cook for Jeffrey.

I love cooking for my husband as much as Ina loves cooking for hers, and I do have my share of dinner parties where I cook for friends; but, I also love cooking for my grandchildren. Ina doesn’t have grandchildren, which I find sad. There is nothing quite like cooking for grandchildren.

Our grandson, Aiden, has been spending a lot of time with us this summer because he is playing baseball and has a grueling schedule. He is only 15 years old, so he is not yet driving; and with both of his parents working full-time, my husband and I have become his own personal Uber drivers, chauffeuring him to games, practices, baseball lessons, and the batting cages.

At the beginning of the summer, I made him easy breakfasts – poached eggs on toast, bagels, oatmeal – he comes between 6 and 7 am, which is a bit early for me. But I got to thinking, When Aiden is at his grandmother’s house, he should have his favorite breakfast.

So, I asked what that was and he said, “Pancakes.” This shocked his father.

“How about buttermilk blueberry pancakes?” I asked.

Aiden replied, “I want banana.” So this grandmother has been making buttermilk banana pancakes from scratch. Aiden loves this recipe. It is quite filling and very rich, so he can only eat one or two. He likes topping his buttermilk banana pancakes with Nutella®. I am not particularly fond of pancakes but think this recipe is delicious. So, thank you, Aiden, for helping me develop it. You are and always have been a pleasure to cook for.

Buttermilk Banana Pancakes

Makes 10 pancakes

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup chopped pecans

1 ½ ripe bananas, mashed, ½ heaping cup

1 ½ cups buttermilk

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and pecans and whisk to blend.

In a medium bowl, mash banana into a paste. Add buttermilk, butter, egg, and vanilla and whisk to blend.

Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and stir gently with a fork until the two mixtures are incorporated. If the batter is too thick, add water until desired consistency is reached.

Place a large skillet or grill over a medium heat. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the skillet or grill. When the drops sizzle on the skillet/grill it is hot enough. Spray with cooking spray. Using a ⅓ measuring cup, scoop batter onto skillet or grill. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until bubbles appear. Flip and cook an additional 1 or 2 minutes. Pancakes should be golden brown.

Serve with butter, maple syrup, sliced banana, chopped pecans, honey, or Nutella®.

Tips on selecting bananas: Select plump bananas that do not feel mushy or show signs of damage. Avoid bananas with green tips; instead select fruit with yellow skin that is flecked with tiny brown spots.

Tips on storing bananas: Bananas should not be refrigerated. This will cause them to turn black. Store them at room temperature. Once home, this fruit will continue to ripen, turning brown when overripe. Bananas should last 4 to 5 days at home. If bananas are too green to eat, you can place them in a paper bag to accelerate the ripening process.

Carol Ann

Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.

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