Banana Pancakes

In our family, pancakes have been known as "p'akes" since my sister was a wee little lady. And we've made and consumed a lot of them in the last twenty-plus years. Nowadays my prowess in the kitchen is confronted with a new challenge: gluten-free baking.

The sister who coined "p'akes" can't eat a mite of gluten or she gets very sick. And that's a very sad thing for us all, because it doesn't really seem fair to bake things she can't eat. Isn't half the fun (at least) of making a meal is sharing it with one's family?

I haven't wanted to do much cooking or baking lately because I feel so limited: no wheat, rye, barley, or spelt. That leaves corn, rice, oats, buckwheat, and tapioca. Great as supplemental grains in recipes but not really stand-alones to my lights. But determined to make p'akes that Sis could enjoy, I threw together a recipe for gluten-free banana pancakes that surprised us all; they were that good! Here's how:

Mix in a medium bowl:
2 over-ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbs. oil
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup quick oats

Sift in:
1 1/2 cups white cornmeal (Aunt Jemima's)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Stir just until moistened and batter is still slightly lumpy. Let sit while pan or griddle is heating. Give mixture a final stir. Ladle 1/3 c. batter onto pan and let cook until bubbles appearing in the center of the pancake begin to pop and edges of pancake are slightly dry. Flip with spatula and let cook until underside is golden brown. Serve piping hot with butter, maple syrup or honey, and a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Makes 12, approximately.

Suggested listening: Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes" of course.

No pretending; the weekend is here!

Photo: "Emmeline" apron I made from Sew Liberated pattern.