[UPDATE, APRIL 2011: This recipe is one of more than 20 breakfast recipes included in my new ebook: Good Morning! Breakfasts without Gluten, Sugar, Eggs or Dairy. The ebook contains 14 new recipes not on the blog. Click here for more information or to purchase.]
I thought it would be fun to run a little series over here at DDD: I’ll profile one one of my favorite foods, or a food that I’ve recently discovered and enjoyed, over several days. The series is presented on an occasional (and entirely arbitrary) basis, before I move on to the next lucky comestible. This is the final entry on apples.
Even though it’s the US Thanksgiving holiday (Happy Thanksgiving, all!) and I’m Canadian, (we in the Frozen North celebrated last month), I am still feeling incredibly thankful today. There are the obvious, quotidian reasons: my (long-suffering, incredibly tolerant and indulgent-of-my-quirks) HH, The (furry, funny and entirely fetching) Girls, my dear friends and family.
But perhaps less obviously yet just as importantly, I’m thankful for the world of bloggers, my blog buddies (both new and long-standing) and amazing readers and commenters who visit this site. I’m sure you all know that a blog is a lonely, deserted space without the community of readers and commenters, but perhaps we bloggers don’t acknowledge that often enough. So thanks, folks, for sticking around and taking part. I love (lurrrrve) hearing from you!
And–there’s more! Right about now, I’m thankful for my lucky streak these past few days. I’d say I feel like one of the luckiest bloggers in the world. Why?
EXHIBIT “A”: Prize Number One!
I was the delighted recipient of a package that arrived in the mail this week, from the lovely Elizabeth at Don’t White Sugar Coat It. I won Elizabeth’s “Stevia in the Raw” giveaway, and was tickled to open up the box to see this:
I’ve never used powdered stevia before and haven’t encountered this particular brand, either, so I am keen to get started creating recipes! Today’s giant pancake was made with this new ingredient (yum!). Thanks so much, Elizabeth–I can’t wait to see what other ACD-friendly goodies I can whip up with it! 😀
EXHIBIT “B” : Prize Number Two!
But wait, folks, there’s more! Yesterday,I received an email from Ashley over at Eat Me, Delicious , informing me that I was also the winner of her Epicure Selections package! This generous giveaway prize is made up of some awesome baking tools and ingredients (including some mouthwatering Belgian chocolate–mmmm!). Of course I’ll post about the package, with photos, when it arrives; all I can do for now is dream about what I’ll concoct, and drool. How lucky can one gal get? Thank you, Ashley! 😀
EXHIBIT “C”: Prize Number THREE!!!!
I know, it’s totally outrageous that I would win THREE prizes–and, in fact, I didn’t! Instead, I’m giving this prize away to one of you! I’ll be holding my own giveaway next time (be sure to come back and check in)–but for now, perhaps I can entice you with this lovely teaser photo. Can you tell what this prize will be? All I will say is that it’s beautiful, it’s healthy, and I try to consume some every day. . . and it’s not chocolate! For all the details and how to enter, see my next post.
Gee, I could kinda get used to this Thanksgiving thing! 😉
Well, I couldn’t end this Lucky Comestible: Apple series without a dessert (especially since I promised to include one dish for each course of the meal). Now, I know that a pancake is traditionally a breakfast food, but the base was so cakelike that I decided to use it in this post. Besides, if I can eat dessert for breakfast on occasion (okay, too many occasions to mention), well, why not breakfast for dessert?
I’ve been thinking about giant pancakes ever since I read Alisa’s post a while back on her Apple Dutch Baby. This delicacy isn’t quite as puffy or moist as a true Dutch Baby, but it does have an authentic pancake fluffiness. By placing the apples under the batter, you ensure complete cooking (and won’t end up with those underbaked, slightly crunchy slices you get sometimes in muffins or quick breads). Then, when you flip it over, you’ll have a lovely and visually impressive treat to serve your guests, your family–or just yourself.
I made these with almost no added sweetener, as I enjoy the natural sweetness of the apple. For breakfast, I serve my slice with almond butter for a complete meal. To serve the pancake as a conventional dessert, however, I’d add the suggested sweetener to the recipe, and would even top each serving with some maple syrup and perhaps a dollop of whipped cream. A berry coulis would also be superb drizzled over the top of the pancake.
And if a delectable, ACD-friendly pancake for dessert isn’t something to be thankful for, well, I don’t know what is.
“Mum, we’re thankful for your pancakes, too. Especially the leftover ones that you give to us. Oh, and squirrels.”
Giant Baked Upside-Down Apple Pancake
A perfect weekend breakfast or dish for a brunch crowd. Slice and wrap pieces of the pancake, then store in the fridge for breakfast throughout the week.
Apple Botton/Top:
1 large sweet apple (such as Gala or Delicious), peeled, cored and cut in thin slices
1 Tbsp (15 ml) cinnamon
2 Tbsp (30 ml) Sucanat (omit for ACD-friendly version)
Pancake Batter:
1/3 cup (80 ml) cashew butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) pure almond extract (optional)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) agave or maple syrup, 15-20 drops stevia liquid, or 2 packets dry stevia (such as the Stevia in the Raw I won!)
1 tsp (5 ml) finely ground chia seeds or 1 Tbsp (15 ml) ground flaxseeds
3/4 cup (180 ml) plain or vanilla soy, almond or rice milk
1/3 cup (50 g) brown rice flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) oat flour (or grind oats in a coffee grinder to a fine powder)
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
2-1/2 tsp (12.5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a large tart pan, springform pan or pie plate with a circle of parchment paper; then grease both the pan AND the paper (this is necessary to ensure that the fruit bottom unmolds properly; if you don’t intend to flip the pancake over after it’s baked and you just cut slices straight from the pan, you can omit the parchment).
In a small bowl, combine the apple, 1 Tbsp (15 ml) cinnamon and Sucanat, if using. Toss with a spoon or your hands until all the slices are coated, taking care to separate any slices that stick together (discard any coating that’s left at the bottom of the bowl). Place the slices in a single layer (or just slightly overlapping) over the bottom of the pan in a decorative arrangement. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cashew butter, applesauce, vanilla, almond extract, agave or stevia and chia until combined. Slowly add the soymilk and whisk until well mixed. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the remaining ingredients. Add the wet mixture and stir until well combined. Carefully drop the batter by spoonfuls evenly over the surface of the apples, then spread gently to cover all the fruit, disturbing the slices as little as possible. Smooth the top (it’s okay if a few bits of apple stick out here or there).
Bake the pancake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until the top is golden, the edges are browned and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Once cool, carefully run a knife along the outside edge of the pancake to loosen it. Invert a serving plate over the pan and flip it over (the pancake should fall right out onto the plate). Gently peel off the parchment paper (the apples should be in the same positions as they were when the pancake went into the oven; if they’re not, carefully rearrange them on top of the pancake).
Serve with maple syrup, fruit purée, or ice cream. Makes 6-8 servings. May be frozen.
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Last Year at this Time: Holiday Brunch-Worthy: Tofu Omelet with Pesto, Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
Other Posts in this Series:
-
Lucky Comestible 6(1): Roasted Red Pepper and Apple Dip
-
Lucky Comestible 6(2): Classic Waldorf Salad
-
Lucky Comestible 6(3): Apple and Red Wine Soup (with anti-candida variation)
-
Lucky Comestible 6(4) Potato Terrine with Apples and “Goat Cheese”
Other Apple-Based Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Tofu Omelet with Sautéed Apples and Sweet Curry Sauce
-
Earth Bowl Breakfast (yikes! Getta loada that photo!)
Other Lucky Comestibles:
- Lucky Comestible 1: Sweet Potato
- Lucky Comestible 2: Quinoa
- Lucky Comestible 3: Avocado
- Lucky Comestible 4: Coconut
- Lucky Comestible 5: Cilantro
© 2009 Ricki Heller
Hi! I'm Ricki, cookbook author, professional recipe developer, holistic nutritionist and anti-candida crusader. Let me show you how easy it is to eat plant-based, sugar-free, gluten free food that tastes great! 
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Right now, I’m thankful for you sharing that scrumptious pie recipe! Thank you 🙂
Oh yes! This looks absolutely perfect =D.
Happy Thanksgiving! I’m thankful for your recipes and so glad you’re liking the stevia!
Happy US Thanksgiving! My husband and I were trying to remember which Thanksgiving we spent in BC – I’m thinking it was the first one since we moved to Seattle but he thinks it was the one after that. Anyway, it was one of our favorites because we just went out to sushi, and it was no big deal.
We had shrimp tonight and family members in multiple states were appalled we didn’t have turkey! Who cares?!?
Cady (the dog) and Derby (the cat) got leftover turkey gravy (which we needed for the stuffing because it’s not Thanksgiving without stuffing even if you skip the bird) so everyone’s happy here!
Hope you enjoy the rest of your week/end!
Happy very belated Thanksgiving to you!
That looks an awful lot like a matcha whisk in your “teaser” photo! I sense green tea in your future . . . and someone else’s, too!
At the moment I can’t imagine eating another bite of anything, but if I could, the apple pancake looks like just the thing. But I can’t. Not a bite. Can’t even copy out the recipe. I’ll have to come back next time I’m hungry. Whew.
Congratulations on a great streak of luck! I love lucky streaks. And thanks for putting into words just how I feel about the wonderful world of blogs and bloggers.
‘Dessert for Breakfast’ – one of my favorite concepts – love your ideas. And congrats on the lucky streak and fab prizes – certainly deserved by a truly dedicated blogger.
We had Thanksgiving with our neighbor Al and his daughter and friends. Bonnie brought the entire feast in her luggage coming from New York to Texas – who knew you could do that?
That is a beautiful pancake! If my fridge wasn’t overflowing with TG leftovers right now, I’d make it for breakfast 🙂
This ‘pancake’ looks yummy! I was just wondering if I just recently started the anti-candida diet, can I have this? Or, should I have NO fruit for a while? I was also wondering about sweet potatoes on ACD. I have seen different foods to avoid on different web-sites about candida, which is a little confusing.
Anyway, just discovered your blog not long ago and you are now my new best friend:) You saved my Thanksgiving! I made the anti-candida stew–loved it! I used quinoa instead of rice though. I made it through the holiday without touching sugar!! Yay:) I could probably ask you a million more questions, but I’ll spare you! If you want to e-mail me about the fruit and sweet potato thing, my e-mail is earlybirds5@verizon.net. Thanks for a GREAT blog with LOTS of yummy recipes. I look forward to trying more of them:)
look at all the goods you racked in!! and what a delicious pancake 🙂
That looks so good! I know what I’m eating tomorrow 🙂
You had me at “giant baked upside-down apple pancake”! Seriously, who could resist something with such a level of yumminess in its name alone?
What a great recipe! I love love love apples so I am thankful to you for this recipe!
I noticed your name appearing as a winner on those blogs – congratulations!
Congratulations on all the prizes! Hurrah indeed. 🙂
This recipe looks FANTASTIC!
Oh wow, I think I’ve found the guilty brunch pleasure I need to make tomorrow!
you’re so lucky to have one all those great goodies, Ricki. wow! and you’re too sweet to hold another wonderful giveaway. hooray! i can’t wait to find out what we all have a chance at winning.
your giantantical baked upside-down apple pancake looks wonderful & one helluva tasty way to start the morning. i love that it’s great for breakfasts throughout the week, too. superw00t! (we give our leftover pancakes to julie and the squirrels as well – that’s too funny!)
Yay for packages! That apple pancake looks like a slice of cake. How awesome!
VeggieGirl,
Thanks (a little less rich than pie crust, though!) 😉
Lauren,
Thanks!
Elizabeth,
The stevia worked beautifully in this–thanks again! 🙂
Tiffany S,
Sounds like a wonderful holiday! And thanks for the good wishes, too. 🙂
Catherine,
Are you a fan of green tea? I love the stuff. And happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
Andrea,
Thanks so much. Glad you had enough to eat 😉 ! And the blogger world really is something special.
Mom,
Sounds like a great innovation there–will remember that next time I travel! Glad you had such a lovely Thanksgiving. 🙂
A-K,
There’s always next week. . . ! 😉
Kimberly,
I’m nt a medical professional, so I can’t really say what’s best for you, but in my case, I started the diet with NO fruit for the first 2-3 months (extreme, I know), except for lemon/lime. I believe that most diets are not that strict, however (but I really wanted to see results FAST–I was desperate!). I’m so glad the blog is helpful for you–hang in there! There are lots of resources on the web. Check my first ACD post, and even a general Google search on “candida” will yield lots of results. Good luck!
Shannon,
I know! I felt like it was my birthday or something 😉
Medu3a,
Thanks so much. Let me know what you think if you do give it a try!
Josiane,
Aw, thanks! 🙂 (and yummy, indeed!)
Diann,
Thanks so much. I am feeling very gifted these days (ha ha)!
Susan,
Thanks so much. 🙂
Jes,
Brunch pleasure, yes, but no guilt! Nothing here is bad for you. 🙂
Jessy,
Thanks! I think you’ll all like the new giveaway 🙂 And glad you like the look of the pancake!
Mihl,
The texture is quite cake-like, but not as sweet, so I called it a pancake. 🙂
Man, you sure are having a streak of good luck! I guess it’s true what they say about karma… 😉 Glad you’re getting what you deserve. And that amazing apple pancake would probably be the greatest prize of all!
How lucky can one girl be? (don’t worry, I am not going to sing)
Ricki, we all lurrrrve you and your blog, even though we don’t say it often enough either! 🙂
What could your giveaway be? Hmmm. It’s The Girls! The winner gets the furries! 😛
Speaking of the furries, I often wonder what “their” voices sound like. In my head, whenever I read what they say, they sound very very funny!
My husband likes the look of your pancake photo! He said, “Whoa! That’s cool”. And I agree wholeheartedly.
What a gorgeous giant pancake, Ricki! The last time I tried to make such a thing, the apples did not stay in place. I’ll have to test out your recipe. 😀
I know I speak for many of us in saying we’re grateful that you’re out there blogging away (and reading, too). 🙂
That looks like a great idea Ricki! I would never have thought of doing that. Of course, If I made it, it would never be as healthy as yours 🙂
The upside down pancake looks luscious. I use stevia a lot, my fave brand is NuNaturals, because there’s no bitter aftertaste.
Just made this today and it was delicious!! Thanks so much for sharing!
MMMMM these look amazing! I have all the ingredients to make these save the coconut flour. Do you think I could do without it, or substitute another type of flour?
Yum I’d love to eat this as a breakfast or snack! The apples look especially delicious. I hope the tools from Epicure have reached you by now.=)
congratulations on winning those treats – and I love the look of that pancake – have had my mind on trying a baked pancake for a long time now and I love how little sweetener this needs
I’m still too scared to eat fruit, but as soon as I can, I’m totally making this. I love anything with baked apples, so I can’t wait to try it.
Oh, my goodness, this was delicious! I subbed sorghum flour for the oat flour and it worked out perfectly. Most definitely company fare!
This was my first experiment with ground chia seeds for baking. The results were incredible! I couldn’t believe how light and, well, “eggy,” this pancake was! I can’t wait to try this in other recipes. Anti-Candida Feast ebook, here I come!
Hi Ricki, can you suggest a substitute for coconut flour? I can’t find it in bulk anywhere and I don’t want to buy a full bag of it. I was thinking soy flour but I also don’t want to use soy. Maybe chickpea flour? Protein powder? Plain ol’ grain flour?
I made it into a pineapple upside down cake. Amazing, especially warm, right out of the oven!
What a great idea! Thanks so much for the suggestion. And thanks for reading my blog! 🙂
Didn’t know what to make for dinner tonight and didn’t have any chicken/beef/turkey thawed so we thought about the breakfast for dinner route. Made this recipe for the first time and it was a hit!
I’m so glad, Jessica! It’s one I love here, too (must make again, actually!). And glad that you found a non-meat recipe that satisfied–breakfast never disappoints, I find! 😀
This is quite delicious, and even my hubby (who eats mostly SAD) loves it! To accommodate our allergies, I substituted sorghum flour for the brown rice flour and quinoa flour for the oat flour. I also used only stevia to sweeten it. I’ve made it several times now with these changes and it always turns out wonderfully. Thank you for giving us another filling, and scrumptious, option for breakfast!
So glad to hear that, Melissa! I’ve often made it with just stevia, too, though never those other flours. Great to know about substitutions–thanks for sharing, and for your feedback! 🙂