Healthy (Yes!) Buttermilk Biscuits & Gravy

Wait a minute.

Did I seriously just write healthy biscuits and gravy? How is that even possible?

I'm a believer that just about any dish can carry nutritional value. The key, my friends, is using nourishing ingredients and to eat wisely. 

This is quite the hearty breakfast; perfect before a day packed with lots of physical activity and little time for lunch. I made this batch the morning we went to the woods to find our Christmas tree. I don't know about you, but altitude makes me hungry and we were headed up the mountain for a long day of trudging thru the snow, looking for the perfect tree. Truly, we were. My husband doesn't stop until he finds it, and usually it's twice as tall as we need it to be. It was wonderful to not hear an "I'm hungry" until hours later, after we were piling into the car where I had a basket of these cookies at the ready.

I'm so thankful our family can now eat gluten without it negatively affecting them, so long as we eat it sparingly.  For my GF friends, I'm sorry about this recipe.  More gluten-free recipes to come.

'Round these parts, we like our biscuits tall, like our Christmas trees.  If you do, too, be sure your dough is rolled out to at least an inch thick.

This means you'll be working with a smallish round that makes up it's diameter in thickness.

You can always use a drinking glass to cut your biscuits like I did, until this biscuit cutter set was found in my stocking several Christmases ago.  I use the second to the biggest choice.

I also love baking on this lovely, non-toxic stoneware pan.

See?  Tall, warm, flakey goodness.  Stop here if all you need are incredible biscuits.  Continue if you're ready for some protein-packed comfort.

I will probably be shunned from the south from here on out for using ground turkey instead of sausage, but I'm Californian and it shows, even in my gravy. What also shows is how many recipe steps I try to skip.  It works just fine to dump the meat in the pan over low heat, sprinkle the seasonings in, and incorporating it all as it cooks.  Less dirty dishes = more life to live.

Does billowing steam from cooking breakfasts memorize anyone else?  It could be the pre-coffee, half-asleepedness, but it's practically hypnotic to me.

Also, morning light on creamy, meaty goodness sends me into utter bliss.  Commence stomach growls.  

Making the biscuits from start to finish only takes 20 minutes.  That includes baking time.  Add the gravy and the whole meal will find it's way to the breakfast table in 35 minutes, so long as you start the gravy right after the biscuits go into the oven.  I pull all the needed herbs for this recipe from the garden and hang them above the stovetop ahead of time, making this dish an even more aesthetically delightful event.

A faucet will go where that stump is, one of these days,

We are family of seven, so my recipes tend to make a lot of food.  If you don't go through this batch in one setting, both the biscuits and the gravy reheat wonderfully for yummy days to come.

Buttermilk Spelt Biscuits

Prep time: 10 min, Bake time: 10 min, makes 8-9 biscuits

• 4 cups spelt flour
• 2 Tablespoons non-aluminum baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 2/3 cup palm shortening
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to  450º.
2. In mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix in shortening, and buttermilk until just combined.
3. Roll dough out onto lightly floured surface, to a 1-inch thickness.  Cut out biscuits with a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter.
4. Place biscuits 1 inch apart on ungreased pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned.  Serve immediately, though room temperature or reheated biscuits are good, too.

Sausage Gravy

Prep time: 20 min, Serves 8

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 Tablespoon rapadura (or coconut sugar, or brown sugar)
• 2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, if you like spicy sausage)
• 1/4 cup bacon grease, optional (we buy organic, pastured bacon and definitely save the grease)
• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 3-4 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1. Place ground turkey in skillet (cast iron is the preferred, non-toxic choice), over low heat.
2. Meanwhile, add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, sage, thyme, marjoram, smoked paprika, and optional pepper flakes to turkey; chop and stir to incorporate into turkey with spatula to combine and cook, turning heat to medium.
3. Once turkey is fully cooked with no more pink meat, reduce heat to medium-low, add optional bacon grease and sprinkle flour onto meat.  Cook for about minute, stirring constantly.
4. Drizzle milk onto sausage, stirring constantly.  Cook gravy until it thickens to desired consistency, 10-12 minutes.  If it gets too thick, add milk. If it's too thin, add a little more flour. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper into sausage, stir, and serve immediately with warm biscuits.

Oh and the tree?  We found one.  Jeremy did good, as usual.  This is why I let him obsess over finding the perfect one, even after the children are long done and ready to go home. It's always worth it.

Grain-Free German Apple Pancakes Recipe with Paleo Options

As the mornings grow colder, I find myself wanting to tuck into something warm after waking up.  The smoothies get moved to snacks, and breakfasts that come out of the oven are welcomed once again.  I don't want to spend a whole bunch of time on breakfast; it's a busy part of the day over here.  This new favorite tastes and looks like it should've taken a lot more time to make than it actually does.  The key, my friends, is the right kind of tools.  If your household likes apples and you don't already have what my kids call "The Amazing Apple Machine," please, for the love of everything good and pure, invest in one.  I don't know about you, but I can't peel, core, and slice an apple in ten seconds by hand.  For this recipe, I whiz the apples through the "machine" and slice the spiraled apples in half.  The slices are the perfect thinness to naturally cook just enough during the process of baking the pancake, so there's no need to pan-fry them ahead of time.  You'll see what I mean in the recipe, but first, one more note.  If you don't have to be paleo, please choose the buttermilk option over almond milk.  Also, pretty please use butter instead of coconut oil.  The paleo version totally works, but the flavor of good, organic dairy from grass-fed cows...  I swoon.

NOTE:  If you happen to stumble upon a recipe that calls for coconut flour such as this one, you must only use coconut flour.  Coconut flour is very different than any other of it's kind and cannot be substituted cup-for-cup with any other flour.  You also cannot substitute coconut flour for any other kind of flour in a recipe or else you will end up with some sort of nasty.  Moral of the story:  Coconut flour recipes are for coconut flour only, and keep it out of any non-coconut flour recipes.  Thank you. Carry on.

Grain-Free German Apple Pancakes with Paleo Options
Serves 8, prep time: 10 minutes, bake time: 15-20 min.

• 1/3 cup butter (or coconut oil), for the pan
• 1 cup buttermilk (or almond milk)
• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons more butter, for the batter
• 1 tablespoon grade grade B maple syrup or honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (find a gluten-free recipe here)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 big or 3 small apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (see pictures above)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 425º.  Put 1/3 cup butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or a 9x13 pan and place in oven while it heats up to allow butter to melt.
2. Blend buttermilk, eggs, 2 tablespoons butter, syrup or honey, vanilla, coconut flour, and soda in a blender until smooth.  
3. Slice apples as seen above.  Mix cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl.  Add apple slices and toss to coat.
4. Remove hot pan or skillet from the oven once the butter is melted.  Arrange apple slices evenly  on the pan.  Sprinkle any residual spices over the apples.  Pour batter over the apples and place pan or skillet back into the oven.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the center of the pancake is set.  Cut into slices and serve hot with a dollop of butter and grade B maple syrup.

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Crispy Lemon Ginger Waffles ~ A Paleo Recipe

It's true, it's been months since any new posts.  I haven't stopped thinking about sharing life here in this space, but in order to keep priorities in alignment (family first!), the blog has suffered.  Often times, good choices are hard choices.  I miss being here and hope to pick up a regular writing routine so very soon (after we have established our home school for the upcoming year!  More on that soon).  In the meantime, I give you this recipe as a peace offering.  This is no ordinary waffle.  Crispy, airy, flavorful yet not overwhelming...  This is our current favorite waffle of all time, and it just happens to be paleo.  I will be doubling this recipe in the future because they were inhaled before everyone was satisfied.  I might just make another batch for lunch, who knows?  All I know is that I can't stop thinking about them.

Crispy Lemon Ginger Waffles (Paleo)

Prep time: 10 minutes, cook time: 15 minutes to cook entire batch; makes 8 waffles

• 1 cup milk of choice
• 1/3 whole lemon (rind included)
• 1/2 knob of fresh ginger
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 3/4 cup arrowroot powder (hazelnut or cashew flour will also work.  coconut flour WON'T)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or butter if you're not totally paleo like me)

1. Preheat waffle iron and grease with ghee if needed.
2. Place all ingredients in high-speed blender like the Vita-Mix and blend thoroughly.  Open lid and give it a stir, looking for any chunks, blend again if any chunks are found.  Batter is ready when completely smooth.
3. Pour about 1/2 cup batter into waffle iron to make each waffle.  Serve hot.  Optional garnishes are maple syrup, pear slices, and a sprinkling of organic cinnamon.

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Lemon Vanilla Bean Breakfast Cookies ~ A Paleo, Gluten-Free Recipe

Our littlest baby started sleeping through the night at seven weeks old.  I felt human!  This baby stuff is a piece of cake when you get enough sleep.  I was ready to take over the world!  Until teething, mental, and physical growth spurts hit and I never slept again.

I allow myself to sleep in (for as long as the baby sleeps) every Saturday morning.  This is only possible if breakfast is prepared ahead of time and the older children can satisfy their "starving" bellies themselves.  Enter the breakfast cookie.  I mean, who doesn't want to eat a cookie for breakfast?  Or anytime, for that matter?  These truly can be enjoyed at any hour of the day, thanks to each wholesome ingredient.

Paleo Lemon Vanilla Bean Breakfast Cookies
Prep time: 15 min; bake time; 15 min; makes 20 cookies (leftovers freeze well)

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (do not melt first)
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• zest from 1 lemon
• juice from 1 lemon
• beans from 1 vanilla pod (slit pod open and scrape beans out with a spoon, or squeezed out like toothpaste if it's been used to make vanilla extract)

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Measure and pour coconut and almond flours into mixing bowl.  Turn mixer to low and continue to add the rest of the ingredients until fully mixed.
2. Form cookies by taking about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, rolling them in a ball with your hands, and gently pressing them down to about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Bake on a cookie sheet (greased or lined with parchment paper) for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool completely on the cookie sheet before removing.  Serve immediately, store in air-tight, lidded container on the counter for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to several months.

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I'm sharing this at Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.

Cranberry Lemon Scones ~ A Grain & Gluten-Free Recipe

The aroma of coffee brewing and breakfast baking is such a welcoming "hello" in the morning.  Scones are my hero because from start to finish, they reach the table in less than thirty minutes.  I tossed in a few white chocolate chips to make it an extra special treat.  Trader Joe's offers them this time of year and I usually stock up before Christmas is over and their supply runs out.  If you decide to opt out of them, drizzling a bit of honey over the scones is yummy since there is no sugar in the recipe.  Almond flour is naturally sweet so there's no need to add any other sweetener.  This recipe makes six large, Starbucks-sized scones.  You could easily make two disks and cut each up in sixths to make twelve mini scones (see pictures below).  This is definitely in the running for the coveted Christmas breakfast dish along with Easy, Cheese Ham & Potato Strata.

GF Cranberry Lemon Scones
Prep time: 10 minutes, bake time: 15-18 minutes, yields 6 scones

• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 6 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• zest from 1 lemon
• juice from 1/2 of the same lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
• raw honey to drizzle over baked scones

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Mix together flour, powder, soda, and salt.
3. While the mixer is mixing, cut in butter, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until dough is crumbly.  If you're using coconut oil, you can dump the whole amount in at once and mix until crumbly.
4. Whisk together eggs and juice, then stir in cranberries and lemon zest.  Pour into dough and mix thoroughly. 
5. Shape dough into a disk, about 1 inch thick.  Cut 6 pieces like cutting a pie.  Place pieces on baking sheet and bake 15-18 minutes or until hints of brown are around the edges.  Drizzle raw honey over scones just before serving.

I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.

Easy, Cheesy, Gluten-Free Ham & Potato Strata Recipe

Whether you are cooking for a brunch, preparing a special holiday breakfast, or baking ahead to prepare quick options for a week's worth of healthy breakfasts (or even lunches or dinners), this dish brings smiles to faces and satisfaction to stomachs.  If you want to serve it for breakfast but don't want to get up at the crack of dawn, simply construct this dish up to 24 hours ahead of time, cover, and store in the fridge.  When you're ready to bake, uncover it, put it in a cold oven, set it to 350º, and bake for one hour instead of 40 minutes.

This is also a wonderful recipe to use up holiday leftovers.  Layer mashed potatoes one half inch thick in place of the boiled, sliced potatoes.  If you have leftover ham, simply use up to two cups, chopped, in the recipe.

Easy, Cheesy Potato Strata
Prep time: 20 minutes, Bake time: 40 minutes, serves 8-10

• 6 potatoes (peeled if using russet)
• 4 tablespoons butter or ghee
• 1 cup cheddar, grated
• 1 cup gruyere, grated
• 1 onion
• 8 ounces ham
• 8 eggs
• 1 cup creme fraiche
• 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
• Celtic sea salt to taste
• pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Peel potatoes if using russet.  Slice into fourths.  Place in large pot, fill with water just enough to cover potatoes.  Bring to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft but still firm enough to slice.  
2. While potatoes boil, put butter in 9x13-inch pan and place in oven.  Mix cheeses together, beat eggs and creme fraiche together, and grate onion.  When potatoes are done, drain, then slice each piece in half.  Pull pan from the oven and lay half of the potatoes in a single layer at the bottom of pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
3. In the same pot you just boiled potatoes in, melt 1 tablespoon butter or ghee and add onions.  Saute at medium/high heat until tender, about 3 minutes.  While the onions saute, chop ham.  Turn off heat and stir ham in with onions. Layer all the ham/onion mixture over the potatoes in the pan.  Sprinkle half the cheese mixture over the ham/onions.  Layer the rest of the potatoes over ham, sprinkle with more salt and pepper, then cover with the rest of the cheese.  Pour egg mixture over dish.
4. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Serve hot, room temperature, or cold, depending on your druthers.

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I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.

Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Chocolate-Drizzled Pumpkin Muffins ~ A Recipe

Muffins are my favorite go-to for this time of year.  It's cold enough to bake, they're quick to make, they are a yummy breakfast and are also great for snacks and with lunches, and they freeze well.  Since we make a double batch of them each week, I need to change up the ingredients a bit so they don't all end up being almost identical.  Adding a little chocolate drizzle definitely makes them feel like a special treat.  If you'd prefer to opt out of the drizzle, no big dizzle.  They're still the bomb-schnizzle.  Yo.

Grain-Free, Chocolate-Drizzled Pumpkin Muffins

Prep time: 10 min, bake time: 20 min, makes 2 dozen muffins

For the batter:

• 1 cup milk (dairy or coconut)
• 1 cup puréed pumpkin (here's how to make your own)
• 2/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 7 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

For the drizzle:

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease or line 18 muffin tins.  Put all batter ingredients in blender and blend on high for 45-60 seconds.  You might need to use the agitator to make sure everything mixes well.  Pour batter into muffin tins about 2/3 the way up.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until not jiggly. 
2. As the muffins cool, mix chocolate chips and coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat until melted.  Use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over warm muffins.  Enjoy!

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I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.

Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Persimmon Spice Muffins ~ A Recipe

Persimmons are the last fruit of the season.  They are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and are known for their anti-inflamitory and tumor-fighting nutrients.  We enjoy them in smoothies, grain-free cookies, and now in muffins as well.  Because they only take thirty minutes from start to finish, I like to make a double batch of these first thing in the morning so we can enjoy warm muffins with soft butter for breakfast.  We also then have a stash to pull from for lunches and snacks for the rest of the week.  They freeze well if you'd like to tuck some away for even later.

Gluten-Free Persimmon Spice Muffins
Prep time: 10 minutes, bake time: 20 minutes, makes 12 muffins

• 2 persimmons, tops sliced off, then quartered and de-seeded (if yours has any)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger (or 1/2 inch fresh ginger knob)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (expeller pressed won't taste like coconut)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  
2. Put quartered persimmons in blender and puree.  Add remaining ingredients and blend on high for 1 minute or until the badder is smooth.  While badder is processing, line 12 muffin cups.  I love these reusable muffin liners. 
3. Pour badder into the lined muffin cups to about 2/3 full.  Bake for 17- 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch and no dough sticks to your finger.

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I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter.

2-Minute Raw Power Breakfast

It's hard to break the cold cereal cycle.  What's faster than opening a box, dumping some o's in a bowl, and pouring milk over it?  When everyone is "starving" as soon as they wake up and my head is still groggy from a rough night with the baby, I find myself missing the convenience of boxed cereal, despite it's nutritionally-void, highly-processed ingredients (yep, even the organic stuff).  We've been making this super satisfying breakfast weekly (sometimes more).  It's just so quick and tasty, and I don't have cereal guilt when I pour some raw milk over it and the kids devour the contents of their bowls.  Also?  They're not hungry twenty minutes later like they are when they ate boxed cereal.  I like appreciate the metabolism boost it gives me as the baby fat continues to melt off.  Find the recipe, along with other fun real food weekend reads, over at Modern Alternative Kitchen today.

I'm sharing this at Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter.

Grain-Free Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Zucchini Muffins

It's not a pretty muffin as muffins go, but don't let it's look deter you.  With a soft-yet-dense texture that's unusual for a coconut flour bread and a flavor rich in chocolate, this muffin is a palate-pleaser to be sure.  Don't think you'll finish off a whole recipe?  Freeze leftovers for later.  You'll be glad you did.

Grain-Free Zucchini Muffins

Prep time: 10 min, Bake time: 20 min, Makes 24 muffins

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup whole cane or coconut sugar
• 3 cups grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a mixer, beat coconut flour until all the lumps are out and the flour is smooth.  On low speed, add salt, soda, and cinnamon.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add the oil, sugar, and zucchini and mix thoroughly.  Mix in chocolate chips.
2. Spoon batter into greased or lined muffin pans, about 2 tablespoons for each muffin.
3. Bake about 20 minutes or until spongy-feeling in the middle.

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I'm sharing this at Monday Mania.

How I Got My Family to ENJOY Parsnips (and Spinach!) ~ Savory Cakes ~ A Recipe

Half the battle to achieve victory in food fights, I'm realizing, comes from leading by example and chilling out.  When I let my defenses down, miracles can happen. (ie: NOT giving in to I just spent all this time preparing something healthy and trying to make it taste good and I will freak out if it's received poorly.)  The other day, I experimented with the last of the parsnips.  The texture and presentation was feeling good.  I was going to enjoy this dish (and publicly express my enjoyment),  regardless as to what the family consensus becomes.

Oh my gosh.  I'm so excited about lunch!  These things are so good, you've gotta try them.

What are they?

"Parsnip Cakes" wasn't going to fly...

Savory Cakes!  And you get to put butter and salt on them.  See if you can finish yours before all the butter melts.

Adding butter is a big deal around here because we cook with so much of it, an extra dollop seems excessive, so a sliver of butter on top of these foreign cakes was all it took to get forks in everyone's hands.

Jeremy's reaction is always the first test for the kids.  His reaction is honest, I'll tell ya that much.  Once the kids saw him chowing down and after he gave them the reassuring "take a bite, kids.  They're actually really yummy," (my poor taste-testing family must feel like lab rats sometimes), they cautiously gave it a try... And cleaned their plates!  Elation!

I used leftover parsnip fries which sped up the preparation process, but if you, for some reason don't have any of those lying around in your fridge *smiley face*, I've included the roasting process for the parsnips below.

This is another Paleo, GAPS-friendly, and gluten-free dish that can be served as breakfast, lunch, or as a hearty snack.

Savory Cakes

Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes, Makes 10-12 cakes

• 5 parsnips, thickly sliced & roasted
• 1 handfull spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup blanched almond flour
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter, expeller-pressed coconut oil, or bacon grease for frying

**If your parsnips are raw, bake in 400º oven for 20 minutes, allow to cool slightly, then proceed with recipe.**

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until it's doughy.  You might need to turn it off and push the spinach leaves down towards the blades, then turn it back on to get it all to incorporate.  Use your hands to form balls and flatten into cakes, about 1/3 inch thick.
2. Melt fat of choice in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat.  Cook cakes about 3 minutes on each side, or until browned and crispy.  Serve warm with butter, a dollop of creme fråiche, or simply salt & pepper as garnishes.

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I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Simple Lives Thursday.

Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Sourdough cinnamon roll pancakes have quickly become a breakfast favorite around here.  I can't take credit for this brilliant idea.  I found it here, but I needed to healthy-fy it.  You can use your favorite pancake batter (we use this one).  Here are the other modifications I made:

For the Cinnamon swirl

• 4 tablespoons melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil
• 1/4 cup whole cane sugar, date or coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients well.  Put mixture in a cake decorating tube or a zip lock bag with the tip of a corner cut out.

For the glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar (make your own running whole cane sugar with the dry blade of your Vitamix)
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk all ingredients together.

To assemble the cinnamon roll pancakes:

1. Prepare chosen batter as usual.  Pour batter into hot, buttered pan.  Once the cakes begin to form bubbles that don't close up, squeeze the cinnamon mixture in a spiral, then flip the pancakes and finish cooking.
2. Right before serving, use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the pancakes.

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