Banana Pancakes

Did you know that heavily speckled bananas have nearly three times the amount of fructose (the sweetest of the sugars in fruit) than less spotty bananas? Therefore, if you have a black banana, do NOT throw it away!! Bake with it!  Banana bread, banana muffins, banana cake, or my personal favorite...banana pancakes!  The riper the banana, the better the dish will taste.  And these banana pancakes taste very good.  They are delicious and nutritious...with hardly any fat (that is, unless you decide to slather them in butter, peanut butter, or whipped cream).  They fluff up beautifully and have the most perfect pancake texture.  I would highly recommend eating them with whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and pure maple syrup because they don't take away from the wonderful banana flavor - like peanut butter or nutella or chocolate chips would (and that's saying a lot, because trust me:peanut butter and chocolate are my 2 favorite foods in the universe).  Not that you shouldn't add these toppings...because you totally could, but I liked maple syrup, cinnamon, and whipped cream the best. 

Yield: about 12 pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed

Garnish: maple syrup, cinnamon, and whipped cream (optional)

Directions

1. Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, applesauce, vanilla extract, and bananas.
2. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be slightly lumpy.
3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides; serve hot.  Garnish with whipped cream, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired.