Clinton St. Baking Co. Pancakes with Crunchy Bananas
If you'd like an indulgent breakfast worth celebrating, look no further than these pancakes with crunchy bananas and cinnamon chili chocolate sauce. These pancakes truly are the crown jewel of the sweet breakfast game and are decadent enough for dessert.
6tablespoons(85 grams) unsalted butter,melted (plus more for cooking the pancakes)
½teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Chocolate Sauce:
3ounces(85 grams) bittersweet chocolate,chopped
¼cuplight corn syrup
2tablespoonshalf-and-half or heavy cream
1 ½teaspoons(7 grams) unsalted butter
¼teaspoonpure vanilla extract
¼teaspoonground cayenne pepper
¼teaspoonground cinnamon
Crunchy Bananas:
½cup(62 grams) all-purpose flour
¼cup(30 grams) cornstarch
1 ½teaspoonsbaking powder
¼teaspoonground cinnamon
⅛teaspoonkosher (coarse) salt
¾cupseltzer water or club soda
Canola or peanut oilfor frying
2bananas,peeled and halved crosswise
Cinnamon sugar(1 tablespoon sugar and ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
Instructions
To make the pancake batter: Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
In medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, milk, melted butter, and vanilla until combined. Whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. The batter will be slightly lumpy.
Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or whisk by hand, until medium peaks form. Gently mix half the egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula. Gently fold in remaining whites. The egg whites should not be fully incorporated into the batter. At this point, the batter will last a few hours in the fridge without deflating too much.
To make the chocolate sauce: Melt the chocolate, corn syrup, half-and-half, butter, vanilla, cayenne, and cinnamon together in a double boiler (a stainless steel pot set over a pot of simmering water will do just fine). Mix until smooth, then keep warm over the double-boiler, mixing occasionally, until ready to serve.
To make the crunchy bananas: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk in the seltzer water and set aside.
Fill a small Dutch oven or medium pot about 1 ½ to 2 inches deep with oil and heat to 350°F. Roll the banana halves in the batter to coat. Gently dip 2 banana halves into the oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the banana turns golden brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to agitate the bananas every 30 seconds or so, so they do not burn or stick. Place the fried bananas on a paper towel-lined plate, and fry the remaining banana halves in the same way. Slice the bananas on the bias into ½-inch pieces and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar to coat.
To cook the pancakes: Heat a griddle (either an electric griddle, a stovetop griddle, or a big flat nonstick pan) until hot. Add a little unmelted butter to the hot griddle. Add ¼ cup pancake batter to the griddle and let it set. When bubbles begin to form on top, lift the pancake to check the bottom. If the bottom is golden brown, flip it over. Cook until golden brown on other side. Transfer cooked pancake to a plate and keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. Garnish with cinnamon chili chocolate sauce and crunchy bananas.
Notes
If you have any extra sauce, use it for topping ice cream! You can also double the sauce recipe with the intention of saving half for ice cream topping. Store leftover sauce in the refrigerator and reheat it before serving.
These pancakes are rather small, only 4-inches in diameter, however with the intense cinnamon chili chocolate sauce and the fried crunchy bananas on top, 4 of these smaller pancakes can comfortably serve 1 person.