Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet?
Don’t roll your eyes and say you don’t make resolutions. There must be something you want to learn or do or be this year. Something that excites you. Resolve to do it. Conquer your fear of pie crust, grilling, deep-frying or bread-baking. Figure out the settings on your digital camera. Plant something. Have friends over more often. See all of this year’s Oscar-nominated movies. Master something. Take a class. Enter a contest. Get a professional massage. Seriously. Read a classic. Look up the countries mentioned on the news. Adopt a pet. Learn how to tie a tie or scarf. Try to go for a week without spending any money. Start a blog. Post something on YouTube. Go to all the local festivals in your area. Give someone a piñata. Look for excuses to have fun.
One of my resolutions is to make a big breakfast every Saturday. Almost every morning, I have a bowl of cereal, but Saturday is special, because that’s the one day of the week I know Jeff and I can have breakfast together without any rushing around. Saturday is the day for omelets. Waffles. Maple bacon. French toast. Country ham. Cinnamon rolls. Homemade granola. Shrimp and grits. Sausage. Buttermilk biscuits. Eggs Benedict. Last Saturday, I made one of this month’s Barefoot Bloggers recipes: Banana and Sour Cream Pancakes.
Usually with pancakes, you strive for “light and fluffy,” but these are substantial. Not content to just be receptacles for butter and syrup, these pancakes are tangy and dense, with plenty of flavor from the vanilla, lemon zest and bananas. Pancakes that are actually cakey.
So, here are my resolutions: Look for any excuse to celebrate. Have friends over more often. Make a big breakfast with Jeff every Saturday. Master the art of fried chicken. Use the good china at least once a week. Take a daily walk with Henry the Wonderdog. Learn how to dress myself (with style, I’ve almost got a handle on the buttoning). Post every day. Cook through “The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook.”
What are your New Year’s resolutions? Anything fun? I’m not above stealing.
Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
Adapted from Ina Garten’s “Barefoot Contessa Family Style”
Yield: 12 pancakes
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- Unsalted butter
- 2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
- Pure maple syrup
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned.
- Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used.
- Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.
[ad name=”space”]
Weren’t those pancakes fabulous?!?!?!?!
I don’t make resolutions per se…..but I like yours.
I’m not above stealing either.
These sound delicious.
I think I will vow to give someone a piñata. Perfect.
Can I resolve to eat a big breakfast on Tuesdays? Because these look divine, and I don’t know if I can wait until Saturday.
(long time lurker, first time poster. Your blog rocks.)
I made these last week and wow! They were awesome! You’re right, these are definitely not light and fluffy.
I’ve resolved to say “I’m sorry” less, and I’m amazed with the results. There are so many alternatives! It’s the best resolution ever.
And those pancakes look great. Bananas… yum.
Man those amazing. Of course they break resolution #1: to eat healthier. They look so good to hell with resolution #1! Oops there goes resolution #2: stop cursing.
Those look absolutely delicious. And I was thinking about making banana-coconut pancakes for dinner tonight. I’ll take your post as an omen.
Yea for weekend breakfasts and double-yea for pancakes! My mouth is watering!
Oh. Yum. Yummy yum yum.
The little notice on top is registering Google Reader as Google the search engine, FYI. I’m totally already subscribed :].
Chocolatechic: Steal one! I’m all about resolutions for having more instead of less.
maggie: Giving someone a piñata is so fun! I gave one to my dad, and he had it hanging in the living room for months – our family’s version of the Christmas leg lamp.
Robin: Thanks! I’m so glad you delurked! And a big breakfast on Tuesday? Are we twins?
Tanya: When I saw how thick the batter was, I had to double-check the recipe. These are heavy!
Bethama: Now, THAT is an interesting resolution. I’m sure there’s a story there somewhere …
Beryl: I briefly considered giving up profanity, but then I realized I’d have to give up driving and cooking. And doing my Bernie Mac impression.
pinkstripes: This is an omen. Don’t you love breakfast for dinner?
Mari: You’ve got to plan a big pancake breakfast soon! So good when the weather’s crazy.
Alison: Thanks for subscribing, and thanks for letting me know about the notice! Still working out the bells and whistles on this thing.
lurker posting for the first time! i love your blog, and always look forward to reading it.
My new years resolution is to play the piano more often, see if I can get back to the skill level I used to be at, but you’ve inspired me to add another resolution: choose a dish that I think would be difficult for me to make and see if I can do it! (i’m usually not much of a cook, so this will be quite a big step for me :)
Those pancakes look delicious! I love banana bread but I never think to make banana pancakes. Must change my ways.
These pancakes are awesome! I can’t wait to make them again. Yours look great. I make the same damn “lose a few pounds and get organized” resolutions every year. Yaaaaawn. I need to shake things up this year. Maybe: learn how to accessorize, run a half marathon, conquer my fear of baking with yeast/cooking fish/boiling sugar, and stop caring so much about celebrity news.
These pancakes were fantastic!
I’m resolving to learn to like olives – no matter what. I miss out on way too many good dishes b/c I don’t like them. Worked with wine a few years ago, so I figure it can work with olives also. :) Also, run at least a 5K (I’m a wimp), learn to sew, and stay organized.
I haven’t made pancakes like these in ages… And the addition of banana sounds and looks great!
A great resolution as breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Looks really delicious.
my resolution is to not get seethingly angry when the men at the computer shop look at me as if i’m a drooling moron and ask for “the guy” because obviously, not having male genitalia means i cannot know anything about electronics. Instead I will do as my husband suggests: hang my Harvard diploma behind the cash register and tell them to get bent.
These look delicious! And since I haven’t eaten a thing yet today, they look especially delicious. In fact, I like the looks of everything on your website.
Ok, these look divine! I made pancakes for my husband and I last week! But now Im looking around my kitchen at some bananas begging to be eaten…and some sour cream about to go …sour! So I MAY just be making these tomorrow! My resolution is to only buy what I NEED, and to stop doing things because I think I have to and to only do what makes ME happy.
Delicious looking pancakes! Thanks for reminding me how good pancakes can taste!
Just ran across this blog through a link from Bites (Nashville Scene) and it is fantastic.
Since I am a young guy, my New Years resolution is to find a cute, mid 20’s woman who is not above making these pancakes. If this certain girl has a knack for cooking on a regular basis, that is an added bonus. If I can accomplish that, I’d call 2009 a success.
I make these regularly for my fam – the lemon zest is essential.
i love your resolution! and these pancakes look amazing. i think i’m going to have to make them very very soon!
those pancakes sound to die for! I think I need to try them. Tonight :) Breakfast for dinner! hahaha
Great post – almost as good as the pancakes. I am going to start my resolutions in Feb this year, I’ve decided. Might swipe some of yours for my list.
I make these all the time; frequently omitting the bananas, but using the formula as a base for other flavors. They are particularly tasty with a bit of applesauce in the batter, and sautéed apples on top! I have also subbed in a bit of yogurt for part (if not all) of the sour cream, just to feel a bit healthier. Any way you make them, these are fab; my extended family considers them legendary. Yours look picture-perfect!
I am making these next on my youtube channel..check me out here
http://www.youtube.com/ateyaaa
Try fluffy sour cream pancakes with raspberries. Use defrosted frozen raspberries, and I promise you, putting maple syrup on them will seem like a crime. ;)