Apple Pancakes with Cider Syrup

Saturday mornings are very important in my home, is a routine or better yet a tradition to prepare a big breakfast and sit together as a family.  Usually on weekdays the kids have cereal or home made pop tarts and then their off to school, so weekends are family time.  This morning I woke up and wasn't sure what to cook for breakfast, I thought maybe a breakfast tart but then my son woke up and just suggested pancakes, well a couple of months ago my mother e-mailed me a recipe for apple pancakes and apple cider syrup, well I decided to make it and I have to say that the apple pancakes were delightful my kids couldn't get enough.  I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I did.

Apple Pancakes with Cider Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup finely chopped peeled apple
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
• 2 egg, separated
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  SYRUP:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/3 cups apple cider 
• 1 cinnamon stick  or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash ground nutmeg
• 
  

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients; stir in apple. Combine the buttermilk, egg yolks, butter and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
• Pour batter by heaping 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle coated with cooking spray; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until the second side is lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and cider until smooth; add cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard cinnamon stick. Stir nutmeg into syrup. Serve pancakes with warm
• syrup.

Dulce de Leche Cake

Hello! This is my first time writting or having a blog, I just hope I do a good job, and I hope you all enjoy my recipes and creations.


Dulce de Leche has always been part of my life, I remember when i was a little girl my mother making alfajores and pionono (similar to a jelly roll, but instead of the jelly filled with dulce de leche).  I just loved it! I remember my mother boiling the cans of condense milk to cook them in to dulce de leche..I used to think it was a long process.
One of my favorite cakes my mother used to make was a Dulce de Leche Cake, it was a vanilla cake filled with dulce de leche and dulce de leche icing.  I hope you enjoy the recipe.

Vanilla Bean Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

8 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk


To Make Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F . 

2. Butter and flour two 8-inch round pans.  

3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 

4. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  5. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and vanilla bean seeds. 

6. Beat in the flour mixture alternating with the milk, mixing just until incorporated.  Do not over mix. 

7. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or         toothpick comes out clean. 

8. Cool 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack. 

For the Dulce de Leche Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

4-6 cups powdered sugar 

1/2 of a 14. oz can of Dulce de Leche

1 teaspoon milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


To Make the Dulce de Leche Frosting:

1. Cream together butter and powdered sugar (starting with a few cups and working up).  

2. Add the Dulce de Leche, milk and vanilla.  

3. Cream everything together. 

** If mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar.  If mixture is too thick, add more milk or Dulce de Leche.

For the Filling:
1 can (about 14 oz.) Dulce de Leche

Assembly:

1. Spread one full can of Dulce de Leche    evenly over one cake layer.  

2. Top with the other cake layer, and use the Dulce de Leche frosting to frost the sides and top of cake.  

**With extra frosting, pipe a design on your cake border. 

Now please have in mind that I am not a professional, but the cake sure taste delicious.  Enjoy!!