Dried Cherry and Pecan Whole Wheat Pancakes

Lately I feel like a surfer when it comes to feeding L. Some days she wants breakfast, some days she doesn’t. Some days she wants lunch, some days she doesn’t. She won’t touch meat anymore, with the exception of a hot dog (gross, I know – what is it with kids and hot dogs, anyway?). The one mercy is that she will always, always eat fruit (well, until yesterday, when she threw her cantaloupe on the floor). I’m constantly trying to ride the wave of her food preferences, not overindulging her, putting everything I cook for myself and E in front of her, trying not to get upset when she looks right at me and then flings something off her tray. I don’t want to be that desperate parent chasing her kid around with a granola bar, waking up in the night over the fact that she hasn’t eaten a vegetable in three months.

I do try to have simple things she likes on hand as a backup (like whole grain toaster waffles and string cheese). I do present her with choices at breakfast and lunch (otherwise, she will look at whatever you put in front of her and then ask for something else – she’s only 15 months old, but she knows her mind and how to communicate what’s on it). I do seat her at the table with us for family dinner, so that she sees what we’re eating and is encouraged to try it. But most of the time, it all just feels like a mess. A crapshoot. What are those French parents doing, anyway, to get their kids to eat Brie and shaved fennel salad? Clearly, I need to read that book, because there’s been too much Kraft mac and cheese, grilled cheese, and spaghetti-O’s around here lately. Not what I was aiming for.

I try to make a homemade breakfast on the weekends, as you know, and to keep homemade things on hand – granola, muffins, and so on – for breakfast and snacks. But more and more convenience foods have made their way into the house lately, as a result of my travel schedule and L’s newfound picky-ness. Looking around and seeing all the boxes and packages on top of my fridge and in my pantry, I’ve been feeling a drive to recommit to homemade over store bought. I probably need to start making my own granola bars and increase muffin production.

We do always seem to have decent luck with pancakes. The house favorite is Pioneer Woman’s Sour Cream Pancakes. But I will tell you this in the interest of full disclosure: my child will only eat fresh pancakes. Meaning I can’t do what my sister does, which is make a batch of pancakes, put the leftovers in the fridge, and then heat them up in the microwave on subsequent mornings. Oh no, L won’t have any of that. Reheated pancake, meet my floor. Hope you enjoy your stay.

What I do instead is mix up the batter, make as many pancakes as I need for one breakfast, and refrigerate the rest, where it will keep for the next few days. That way, I can make L her preferred fresh pancakes on busy workday mornings with only a few minutes’ effort. It might sound like a bit of a pain in the rear, but it’s preferable to the toaster waffle, in my opinion.

Last week, I cobbled together these whole wheat pancakes (a variation on Catherine McCord’s Lemon-blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes from the Weelicious Cookbook) with butter and agave nectar instead of oil and honey, adding some vanilla extract, dried Montmorency cherries, and chopped pecans. I love the combination of dried sour cherries and sweet pecans (this combo also makes a fantastic granola).

With a good drizzle of real maple syrup, they were fantastic. Hearty but not too heavy, rich with flavor, these are now among my favorites. The dried fruit makes them a perfect fall/winter breakfast, when pancakes staples like fresh blueberries are out of season.

Dried Cherry and Pecan Whole Wheat Pancakes

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (I use aluminum-free)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup dried Montmorency cherries (or other sour cherries)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a smaller bowl, stir together the butter, egg, milk, agave nectar, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet mixture. Stir until fully combined.

Stir in the cherries and pecans.

Drop the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a skillet or on a griddle sprayed with oil and placed over medium-high heat. Cook until browned on the underside and bubbling on top (use the edge of a spatula to lift the edge of the pancakes and check the underside for doneness).

Flip, and cook the other side.

Serve immediately, with butter and plenty of maple syrup.

Here’s the printable recipe.

Happy pancakes!