Apple Cornmeal Flapjacks - "Les-Rippe"

Last night waiting for the hours to pass before the stroke of midnight, I was looking at a bowl of over-ripe apples. You know the kind that the skins start to shrivel and nobody wants to eat.. I came up with this recipe and am excited to add it to my "Les-Rippe" cookbook.

Apple Cornmeal Flapjacks

Ingredients

Apple Portion

3 large apples (I used Honeycrisp) Peeled and sliced thin.

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup water

3 tsps. cinnamon

2 tsps. vanilla

1/4 cup brown sugar

Pancakes

1 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tsp. salt

2 tablespoon white sugar

2 cups boiling water

2 beaten eggs

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

4 tsps. baking powder

Directions

Heat 4 tablespoons butter in frying pan, when melted, add the peeled and sliced apples. Saute for 5 minutes on medium heat turning once. When slightly golden brown, add vanilla and brown sugar, continue to cook. When butter and vanilla start to cook down with the apple juices and brown sugar, add water. Cook another 2 minutes and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Cook an additional 2 minutes and set aside.  This can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

To make pancakes, in a medium bowl, mix together the cornmeal, salt and sugar. Stir in the boiling water, scraping down sides and mixing until all ingredients are wet. Cover and set aside.

Combine the milk, egg and melted butter and stir milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture until just mixed well, scraping sides of bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Put a small amount of butter in pan to grease.

Using ladle, use approximately 1/4 cup of pancake batter per pancake. Ladle into skillet and place 1-2 slices of prepared apple into each pancake. When the entire surface of the flapjack is covered with bubbles, it's time to turn them over and cook until golden.

Serve with warm, pure maple syrup! Serves 6

Enjoy and Happy New Year!