Sour Cream Apple Pancakes

A great idea to surprise DAD this Fathers Day with Sour Cream Apple Pancakes!

So enjoyed my time with Msgr. Jim, host of Telecare's Real Food chatting up my features from GHL and all my creative friends! Enjoy my apple pancake recipe inspired from fresh picking..

Msgr Jim Vlaun, George Hirsch on GHL set for Telecare's Real Food, image Alex Goetzfried

Breakfast? Brunch? Easy Dinner? or Dessert? ans. all 4

Pancakes are one of the earliest forms of bread and are served up geographically in different ways. Be all traditional with baking powder, or try prospecting with sourdough pancakes like the early pioneers. Flip ‘em with oatmeal or buckwheat when in Vermont; or for a Dutch Style treat serve with lemon, powdered sugar and jam.

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from George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series, apple picking Halsey Farm

Sour Cream Apple Pancakes 

Makes eight pancakes | chefgeorgehirsch.com

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon pure cane sugar

3/4 cup milk, variable

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg, beaten

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

*1 cup mixed sour sweet apples, peeled cored, and chopped

Additional butter to grease griddle

In a large bowl, mix together well with a whisk all dry ingredients the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl mix all wet ingredients the sour cream milk, vanilla, egg and melted butter. Yes, use two bowls so the dry and wet ingredients blend better when combined. Add the wet to the dry and just strip with a large spoon or spatula until the dry ingredients have absorbed the wet. There may still be a few lumps, hats OK. Do not over mix, or pancakes will become tough.

Pre heat a non stick pan or lightly grease a griddle over medium high heat at 375 degrees F. Test the temperature by dropping a drop of water on surface of pan. Water will dance across the surface when at the correct temperature. You can test one cake before proceeding.

Check consistency of batter with a sample test pancake, if too think adjust with a few drops of milk. Pour one 1/4 cup scoop of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Add apples at this time. You will begin to see bubbles form on the top side when brown on bottom, flip and brown on second side. Serve hot with syrup or favorite topping eaten immediately right off the griddle.

Finish off your stack with honey, molasses, can syrup, Nutella, or Maple Syrup.  Top with toasted nuts and powder sugar. If serving apple pancakes for dessert sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon sugar on top of sliced apples prior to flipping. 

Note: After peeling apples maybe chopped or sliced thin depending on your own preference and taste. Chopped apples can be added to the batter or placed on top of raw side of pancake while on the griddle. Sliced apples should nay be arranged on raw side of pancake while on griddle before flipping. And If making batter ahead the night before, add apples just before cooking. 

Tip: When using double acting baking powder (the most common available today) prepare my batter the night before, cover bowl and refrigerate. This not only saves time but more importantly allows the gluten to relax from mixing the batter, which makes for a more tender pancake. When you are ready to cook pancakes just gently stir the batter, do not mix too much or they will be tough. 

Test Your Baking PowderHow old is your baking powder? 

Replace baking powder every 6-12 months after opening. The exact amount of time is determined by how much moisture gets into your container of baking powder. Do you immediately recover the cap; as you should, or do you leave the top off and cover it later when cleaning up? Store in a cool dry place. 

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Mother's Day Waffles, Do It!

Celebrate Mom this weekend and say George sends his best to honor your Mom this Sunday and everyday! This is my most requested breakfast dish when family and friends stay over at my home. Share it with your mom for any occasion. Equally as good with my Oven Fried Garlic Chicken as seen on GHL TV.

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Steamy Belgium Waffles

8 waffles 

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle 

2 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Sugar

2 cups milk

1/3 butter, melted

2 cups flour

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

1 Tablespoon baking powder

Preheat waffle maker. Put all ingredients, except egg whites, in a large mixer bowl. Beat on low until moistened. Increase to medium, mix until smooth. By hand, gently fold in beaten egg whites. Pour 1/2 cup batter over grids. Close waffle maker, bake until steam no longer escapes, about 3-5 minutes. Repeat. Serve while hot with your favorite topping.

Note: Serve with fresh fruit, maple syrup, whipped cream or ice cream.

Quantity:
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One Pan Meal

as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series 

as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series 

Looking for an easy one-pot meal? The frittata can be more than just breakfast, including brunch and lunch. Fill it with fresh veggies and good eggs like my recipe below and you'll have a powerful one-pan, moveable feast. A perfect take along for a picnic or al fresco meal. 

A frittata is also the perfect way to repurpose leftovers like roasted potatoes; add fresh herbs for added flavor like spring chives or thyme.

fritatta waterside

Fresh Herb Frittata

Makes six servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 Tablespoon olive oil

10 eggs, well beaten

2 Tablespoons water, optional  

1/4 cup pancetta 

4-6 each baby Yukon potatoes 

1 shallot or 1 Tablespoon sweet onion 

1 green onion 

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, sliced into small pieces  

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

fresh ground black pepper

Pre heat a large oven proof sauté pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Beat eggs with water, basil, parmesan cheese, hot sauce, nutmeg, and pepper. 

Add olive oil to sauté pan, cook pancetta until slightly tender. Add shallot and potatoes cook until potatoes are tender. 

Add pepper and hot sauce to eggs. Pour eggs over the filling and place the pan over medium heat. Stir egg mixture 2-3 times or just enough to mix eggs and potatoes. When the eggs begin to set, lower the heat and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, top with fresh mozzarella and green onion. 

Cover or place pan in oven for additional 1-2 minutes or until firm yet moist. 

Top with fresh basil. Serve warm or room temperature.

Holiday Breakfast: Popovers & Scrambled Eggs

Join me several times weekly on CreateTV + plus check local PBS listings

Wishing you all a very happy + safe Easter Week! Enjoy, George

It is said the American style popover originated in Portland Oregon derived from the Yorkshire Pudding origins of Yorkshire county in Northern England. Whether true or not the principle of a good Yorkshire Pudding or Popover derives from using a crepe-like batter dough. To make a popover, change the beef fat drippings (from the roast) to butter- for a more updated flavorful batter. Whatever style you prefer to make, just remember don’t open the oven door and peek in the oven- if you want a tall pop-over from this crepe-like muffin. 

Yorkshire Pudding or Popovers are usually served with roasted meats. A dear friend recently shared with me that he serves popovers with scrambled eggs for breakfast or brunch. Great idea!

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Popovers & Yorkshire Pudding  

Makes 12 popovers

Adapted From Adventures in Grilling Cookbook, by George Hirsch with Marie Bianco

5 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten 

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1 cup all-purpose flour

pinch of fresh grated nutmeg and black pepper

Optional: 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme, rosemary or chives

Grease and flour a 12 cup muffin or popover pan. Add a teaspoon of melted butter to each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan.

Mix flour, eggs, milk, 1 Tablespoon melted butter, sugar and salt. Beat in the flour a little bit at a time and add herbs if using; mixture should be smooth. Do not over mix the batter or the gluten will overdevelop and the popovers will be tough. Let batter rest for fifteen minutes. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place empty/ unfilled muffin pan in hot oven to preheat pan for two minutes or until smoking hot. 

Carefully remove hot muffin pan from oven and fill each cup halfway. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue baking for 15-20 minutes more, or until popovers are puffed and browned.  

Remove Popovers from pan immediately and serve hot.

Tips:

If serving scrambled eggs with popovers, begin to cook eggs 5 minutes before removing popovers from oven.

Do not open oven to check popovers until they have baked for at least 30 minutes. 

To test for doneness, tap the outside of Popover; it should sound hollow. 

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