Sometimes my cooking obsession keeps me awake at night which annoys the heck out of me! This happened the other night! I was dog tired after running after a very energetic 11 month old all day and just wanted my head to hit the pillow and fall into sleeping oblivion... but NO I have to think about crazy ideas like these apple fritter pancakes. Like what kind of pancake batter would work best, how can I make them healthy, should I par cook the apple before dipping in the batter... blah blah blah. You foodie bloggers out there can you commiserate with me?

It borders on insanity sometimes with the amount of time I think about food, how to cook it, recipe inspirations, photography ideas, ideas on healthifying something... my brain is always ticking. It's kind of distracting especially when your husband is trying to have a serious conversation with you and all you can think about is what side dish you should make for dinner to go with the tandoori chicken kebabs you have marinating in the fridge. Sometimes I just want to run away from it because it does drive me a little looney sometimes. Don't get me started on blog crushes and photography envy.

These little frittersmake the perfect breakfast on a lazy Saturday morning. They take a couple of extra minutes longer to make than your normal bacon and eggs or pancakes however they are worth it. I have stripped back my good ole pikelet recipe and turned it into something a little more nutritious than starchy white flour and sugar. I swapped these for spelt flour and rice malt syrup instead to make them a bit more kid friendly and healthy for the adults. You can find both of these at your local supermarket pretty easy these days. Spelt flour is a wheat-free flour that is lower in gluten then it's normal counterparts. It still does contain gluten so would not be suitable for cealiacs.

You could serve these little numbers with the obligatory drizzle of maple syrup or honey but why not steer clear of more sugary toppings and slather it with your favourite nut butter or peanut butter instead? Or why not a drizzle of thick greek yoghurt? Just some things to think about! These are baby approved (without the peanut butter) as J.D enjoyed them for breakfast the other day. He smashed down three of the fritters without a fuss! Of course he would - it's not bland porridge that mum keeps on insisting he eats!

Mini Apple Fritter Pancakes

by The Whimsical Wife

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 1-2 min

Keywords: bake fry apple pikelet/pancake winter fall, sugar free,

Ingredients (12-14 pikelet size)

1 x egg
1/4 cup rice malt syrup, warmed until runny (can be substituted with maple syrup or honey)
3/4 cup plain spelt flour
1/4 cup plain white flour
pinch salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/3 cup milk
1 x large granny smith apple, peeled, cored and finely sliced into rings

Instructions

In a large electric mixer bowl, add the egg and whip for 1 minute until lightly beaten.

Add the warmed rice malt syrup to the egg and whip for a further 2 - 3 minutes until light and creamy.

Stop the mixer and sift in the flours, salt, cinnamon, bicarb soda and tartar. Turn the mixer on low and slowly mix the ingredients together.

Add in the milk and vanilla essence and contine to mix slowly until all ingredients are combined.

Set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to froth up slightly.

Meanwhilte place the sliced apple rings into a micrwavable container and cover with water. Microwave for 2-3 minutes until softened slightly. Strain the apple rings and place on paper towell and blot to remove any excess moisture. If the apple pieces are too wet the pancake mixture won't stick to it.

Place a fry pan over low to medium heat and drizzle in a little rice bran or olive oil and spread around the base.

Dip the apple rings into the pancake mixture completely covering the entire piece. Quickly place into the fry pan and cook for 2-3 mintues. Flip and cook the other side. It is important that you do not have the pan on a high heat as the rice malt syrup in the batter will burn. Low and slow is the best way to go!

Repeat until all the pieces of apple are used. You may have some batter left over so just make some mini pikelets or large pancakes with the leftovers.

Serve with a smothering of maple syrup or a slathering of nut butter! Whatever takes your fancy!