4-Grain Peach Pecan Pancakes

I've had these pancakes on my mind for the past few weeks. Ever since going out to breakfast with some family at a really great restaurant, in a really cute neighborhood of Seattle. But as great as the service, atmosphere, and even the food (I've been told) was, the peach pecan pancake special I ordered was a slight disappointment.

The two pancakes I was served were good, solid, and hearty, filling up my entire plate, but what I was really hoping for was a batter filled with peaches and studded with bits of pecans, as the name so implied. I counted maybe 2 little bites of peach and the only pecans were the ones mixed in with the blob of butter on the side. So it was a bit of a disappointment, but one I new I could easily recreate at home to fulfill my peach needs.

Starting with the base of one of my favorite pancake recipes, it was easy to go from there, adding and subtracting what I wanted. It combines so many flavors and textures into one pancake and I've made slight changes each time and always get a great end result. In the past, I've replaced the all-purpose flour with buckwheat for a truly hearty morning breakfast and served it topped with pure maple syrup and fresh blueberries. I have even made the recipe vegan by replacing the egg with an egg replacement, like flax meal and water, subbing in agave or more sugar for the honey and using oil instead of melted butter. All easy conversions and still a tasty pancake.

I decided to thinly slice the peaches and place a single one in the middle of each pancake instead of dicing and tossing them in the batter. I really wanted to taste the peach in every bite. The pecans were finely chopped and tossed in the batter because I wanted those to be really present as well. Each bite was better than the next and I soon forgot about the slightly disappointing version I had before, but was happy to have used it as an inspirational starting point for what I made at home. Have you ever had the same experience while dining out? A meal that gave you the inspiration to go home and make it better?

4-Grain Peach Pecan Pancakes

Adapted from The Joy Of Cooking
6-8 pancakes

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornmeal

2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond milk, or another dairy equivalent

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons honey

1 egg

1 ripe peach, cut into 1/8-inch slices

In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients, except for the walnuts.

In another bowl, combine the milk, butter, honey, and egg. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir in the chopped pecans or walnuts.

Heat griddle, and oil if necessary.

Pour 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Place a peach slice right in the middle. When bubbles form on top, flip. Cook other side until golden brown. Serve with butter and maple syrup.