Best of Breakfast: A Taste of Georgia's Americus Garden Inn (Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Griddle Cakes)

How often does a recipe sweep you off your feet with its ingenuity and comforting taste?

Cinnamon Roll Griddle Cakes Pancakes Flap Jacks
The brainchild of the Americus Garden Inn, the following recipe for Cinnamon Roll Griddle Cakes secured this southern B&B a semi-finalist position in the 2008 contest Pancakes with Personality.

Not as cloyingly sweet as you might imagine, this recipe gets everything right, in exactly the right proportions: from the hearty texture and sublime, cinnamon-roll flavor of the pancakes...to the soothing, homespun flavor of the apple-walnut topping...to just the right amount of sweetness in the homemade icing---it's like getting a hug with every bite.

Cinnamon Roll Griddle Cakes

A "Best of" Inn Cuisine, recipe adapted from the Americus Garden Inn B&B

Note: While the following list of ingredients may seem a bit long, I assure you this recipe is quick & simple to make, with ingredients most cooks already have on hand.

For the Griddle Cakes

dry ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (may substitute whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour)
1 & 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

wet ingredients

1 extra-large egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk (may substitute milk) *see note in recipe
1 tablespoon corn syrup (I suggest Karo Lite)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For the Apple-Walnut Topping

1 large apple (your favorite variety) peeled, cored and diced
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

For the Homemade Cinnamon-Roll Icing

1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 & 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 & 1/2 to 4 & 1/2 teaspoons milk (start with less, may need more to obtain desired consistency)

In a large bowl, combine all 6 dry ingredients for griddle cakes, tossing to combine. In another, smaller bowl, combine all 5 wet ingredients, whisking to combine. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. *Note: if using buttermilk, batter may appear a bit thick---add plain milk by the single tablespoons to thin out as necessary. If using milk in place of buttermilk---batter may appear thin---it will thicken as it rests. Allow batter to rest for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients---batter will thicken as it rests.

Working with the apple-walnut topping ingredients, melt butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan; stir in brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Stir in apples, cover and cook over low to medium-low heat for 10 minutes (or until tender), stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in walnuts. Cover and set aside.

To make the homemade icing, combine all 3 ingredients in a bowl. Add more milk (or more confectioner's sugar) as needed until desired consistency is reached.

Cook pancakes (dropping by the 1/4 cup or slightly less) onto hot, non-stick griddle or non-stick skillet that has been preheated over medium heat. Flip when bubbles appear on top and bottom is lightly golden. Cook second side until lightly golden. To serve, top with apple-walnut topping and drizzle with homemade cinnamon-roll icing.

Yield: approximately 8 pancakes

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Comments

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That is one of the most inviting food photos I've ever seen! It just grabbed me and wouldn't let go. We have a touch of fall in the air this morning (even though it's technically still summer), and these griddle cakes look like the perfect fall breakfast. Oozing with yumminess. I will try this recipe right away. Thank you!

Posted by: Monica | 08/27/2010 at 10:45 AM