Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes

Happy Mother’s Day fancakes!

Looking for something tasty to whip up for your mom (breakfast for dinner/lunch style) or just something tasty in general? Look no further – this week I decided to create an ode to the classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to capture the essence of the PUDC in a pancake…but I think it worked.  The only real difference between this and the classic cake recipe (besides proportions and whatnot) was that I used fresh cherries instead of maraschino…I just can’t do maraschino, too much syrupy-ness for me, I guess.

Don’t worry about not having a cherry pitter – I don’t – I just cut each cherry in half, and then dig out the pit with my fingers, the cherries are getting chopped anyway so it doesn’t really matter how they look right? Taste-wise, the pancakes were really good – a little tart from the cherries, but nice and sweet from the canned pineapple and pineapple juice. Oh yeah, I stuck with classic canned pineapple….just easier (ain’t nobody got time to peel and slice pineapples).  Cooking the pancakes in slightly browned butter and brown sugar really sealed in the classic cake flavor.

3.75 out of 5 stackies: 

Ingredients:

6 oz Greek yogurt

1 egg

2 Tbs pineapple juice (from the can)

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 Tbs brown sugar

1/2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

pineapple rings

1/2 C cherries chopped (+ 5 half cherries)

butter (for cooking)

Directions:

Whisk together the yogurt, egg, pineapple juice, and vanilla.

Whisk in the sugar, flour, and baking soda – the batter will be very thick. Fold in the chopped cherries.

Heat a nonstick pan over low heat.  Put a small dab of butter in the pan and let it brown just a little (you’ll start smelling a nutty buttery flavor). Take one pineapple ring, rub a little brown sugar on one side and put it sugar side down in the pan.  Take one of the reserved cherry halves and put it in the middle of the pineapple ring.

Let cook for about 30 seconds, then gently pour 1/3 C batter over the pineapple/cherry.  Spread the batter out a little so there’s a very thin layer over the pineapple.

Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  You’ll want to lightly butter the pan before each pancake.

Enjoy!