Pancake Cookies

Another attempt towards better health has been reducing the amount of sugar we eat. Before you think I'm some crazy health nut, I've been told by my doctor that I'm at high risk for diabetes. That was a shock since its not prevalent in my family and in general I have a healthy lifestyle. I'm insulin resistant which means I have too much insulin. The concern is that eventually my body might wear out and stop making insulin because it has been overworking. This is can be either a lifestyle problem or a genetic one. The doctor thinks mine is genetic and watching my diet is part of prevention along with medication and exercise. (We all have to play the genetic roulette game and so far I've been very lucky. I'll count my blessings with just needing to prevent major illnesses.) So yeah I'm not crazy, just trying to be careful. Anyway...

One of the changes we've made is how we eat pancakes. We now eat what I tell my children are pancake cookies. I doctor up my basic pancake recipe, make the cakes only 2-3 inches across, and serve without any topping. We eat them with our hands just like cookies. Being the frugal mom that I am, we eat lots of pancakes, usually at least four mornings a week. So this was a worth while change for us.

There are a couple added bonuses to eating pancake cookies, less cook time and less clean up. Some days we don't even hand out plates.

You'll notice a few things different about this recipe. Its a bit higher in sugar than most but that's because we don't use any toppings. Second there are only two measuring utensils needed, a one cup utensil and a tablespoon. This was intentional. It makes this recipe just that much faster and more fool proof when I'm tired in the morning. Last, its a bit thicker than the average pancake so it takes a little more care when cooking.


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Here is my basic pancake recipe:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon imitation vanilla
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
1 cup milk (rice milk works well too for those with lactose concerns)

To this I add various fruits, spices, or extracts. The popular ones so far at my house are:

Almond extract
Cinnamon and a chopped apple
Molasses, ginger, cloves and cinnamon
Raspberries
Strawberries
Bananas
Coconut extract

Pour batter onto a hot skillet in 2-3 inch circles. These pancakes are a bit thicker than the norm. Unlike most pancakes, don't wait for the bubbles to surface and pop or you'll burn them. I flip these when they lose their gloss around the edges and have browned on the bottom side. These end up cooking almost evenly from both sides. If thinner pancakes are preferred add more liquid to the batter and cook as normal.