peach upside down pancake

This isn’t quite a pancake , nor is it a cake. It is fluffy, lightly sweet, and perfect for fruit.  It is a completely flexible and forgiving recipe.

I used a peach, but any fruit will do (apples, nectarines, plums, berries, bananas, etc).   The flavoring can be changed up too.  Sub in vanilla sugar in place of both the sugar and vanilla.  Try cinnamon or almond extract or even a splash of oj instead of lemon juice.

I drizzled a little honey on before serving, but you could serve it plain, dusted with powder sugar, topped with maple syrup, or anything else you like.  Serve it for dessert with a scoop of ice cream and/or fresh whip cream.

This recipe is for one, but can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled – just make sure to increase the size of your pan as well.  Also, make sure your pan is oven safe.  I have a mini cast iron skillet that I used – perfect for a single serving.

Peach Upside down Pancake

• 1 peach (or any other piece of fruit)
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 drizzles of honey (1 for the fruit while it is cooking if it is not ripe and 1 for a topping before serving) – both optional
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp non-fat yogurt (greek or regular is fine)
• 2 tbsp flour
• dash of baking powder (I actually have a measuring spoon that says this – it is less than an 1/8 of a tsp)
• tiny pinch of salt
• spritz of lemon juice
• dash of vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Chop the peach and melt the butter in a very small skillet over medium low heat.

When the butter is melted add the peaches and a little honey if your fruit is not completely ripe.  Stir to prevent burning and cook until just starting to soften.

While the peach is cooking, whisk together the batter. Whisk the egg in a small bowl.  Add the sugar and yogurt and whisk until smooth.

Next add the flour, baking powder, salt, and flavorings (vanilla and lemon juice) and whisk until smooth.

When the peaches have softened slightly, pour the batter over top and move the pan to the oven.

Bake for a bout 10 minutes until the batter is puffed and a bit firm to the touch.

Turn the pancake out onto a plate so that the peaches are on the top.  Tope with honey and serve.

simplicity

Sometimes the best things are the simplest. Now in the full throes of spring, an uncomplicated and unadulterated fruit salad can be so fresh and delicious that you almost forget your allergy induced runny nose and itchy eyes.

Jed (Sportsglutton) and I have spent the last week gorging ourselves in NYC while we visited family and friends. It was a delicious trip, we had appetizers and sausages at DBGB, delicate and refined sushi small plates at Soto, and a classic Italian (non Americanized) dinner at Vespa (in Great Neck). We also ate lots of pizza and bagels – because they rarely taste as good anywhere else in this great country.

Needless to say, we were acting a bit…wait for it…gluttonous.

To reverse the damage we inflicted upon ourselves, we loaded our shopping cart up with fruit and veggies yesterday. We plan on watching what we eat all summer and getting back into shape (the winter was hard on us this year) and the plan starts today.

Fruit salad rocks my world and will be on our breakfast regiment from here on out. Today I mixed up a Fuji apple, a banana, blackberries, and strawberries. For a little more substance, we had rye toast (I’m the marmalade toast girl) from the fresh loaf I baked yesterday on the side.

The moral of the story is that fruit salad is ridiculously easy, more fun than eating a single fruit all by its lonesome, and it is delicious – go get some.