
Ellen Byron authors the Cajun Country Mystery series. A Cajun Christmas Killing and Body on the Bayou both won the Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery and were nominated for Agatha awards in the category of Best Contemporary Novel. Plantation Shudders was nominated for Agatha, Lefty, and Daphne awards. Mardi Gras Murder was deemed “a winner” by Publishers Weekly. Ellen’s TV credits include Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents. She’s written over 200 national magazine articles, and her published plays include the award-winning Graceland. She also worked as a cater-waiter for the legendary Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing.
Check out the giveaway below!
Take it away, Ellen!
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BANANA PANCAKES WITH BROWN SUGAR BUTTER
Bananas have been imported to the U.S. through New Orleans
since the mid-1800s. By the 1950s, the Crescent City was the major port of
entry for bananas being shipped from Central and South America. In Body on the Bayou, my second Cajun
Country Mystery, I created a recipe for Bananas Foster Coffee Cake, inspired by
the iconic dessert served at Brennan’s, a legendary NOLA restaurant. When I was
mulling over ideas for another banana-centric recipe to include in my fourth
book, Mardi Gras Murder, I found
inspiration in a delicious mix of butter, sugar cane syrup, and pecans served
with bread at Houmas House Plantation’s Café Burnside.
I came up with my own take on a sweet butter and then worked
backwards to match it with a dish. Pancakes seemed the perfect choice. But not
just any pancakes — banana pancakes.
The Butter:
Ingredients:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla (or rum, if you’re not serving kids)
¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until
thoroughly blended. Set aside.
The Pancakes:
Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick flour
1 and ½ cups milk
1 ripe banana, cut up
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 egg whites
Chopped raw pecans (optional)
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a clean mixing bowl. Using a
mixer, mix slowly at first to gently combine the ingredients, and then increase
speed until the ingredients are well blended.
Pour in ¼ cups onto a hot griddle. Flip when the pancakes
start to bubble. Press down on them if you need to in order to make sure they
cook through.
To assemble, take one pancake and slather on the brown sugar
butter. Top with another pancake and do the same. If you want a third pancake,
follow the previous instructions. Sprinkle with chopped pecans, if you’d like.
Serves 4-6.
NOTE: you’ll have lots of brown sugar butter left over. It
stores for a couple of weeks if you want to wait until your next batch of
banana pancakes. Or, here are a few bonus recipes:
- Spread on toast and sprinkle with pecan pieces.
- Mix a ½ cup of the brown sugar with a ¼ cup of rum and melt in a skillet or frying pan. Add a cut banana to the butter and cook until the banana is soft. Serve over vanilla ice cream. Voila! Your very own Bananas Foster.
- Blend ¼ cup with a ¼ to a ½ cup of light cream cheese and serve as a dip with cinnamon pita chips.
GIVEAWAY
One commenter will win a copy of my latest book.
Leave a comment and tell me your favorite pancake!
Leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! Winner picked Wednesday.
Connect with Ellen online here:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
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I think pancakes are my favorite breakfast food! There are endless ways to make them seasonal, they are easy and fast and can really be eaten at any meal. The butter recipe is one I will be using for pancakes and toast!
ReplyDeleteI have started reading the Cajun Country series again. I really do enjoy it!
Thank you for the chance to win this new book.
debprice60@gmail.com
The butter recipe is so useful. Thanks for the re-read!
DeleteNOLA - one of my favorite places to go, and to eat! Thanks for this chance to win.
ReplyDeletepjcoldren[at]tm.net
Yum! Plus you reminded me of Bouchercon, when two friends and I seized some free time just to wander around and sightsee. We were sitting on a bench across from Jackson Square, and I looked up and said, "uh, those are bananas, aren't they?" Just a bit unexpected. (And the rest of the food is wonderful too.)
ReplyDeleteNOLA was the main port of U.S. entry for bananas for years!
DeleteI have a fluffy pancake recipe that is awesome! I like them with maple syrup, bananas and walnuts.
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteBlueberry pancakes are my favorite but these banana pancakes look awfully yummy. ckmbeg (at) gmail (at) com
ReplyDeleteBanana pancakes are a lovely treat. Had not considered gilding them with a sweet butter. What a great and simple idea for a special breakfast.
ReplyDeletelittle lamb lst at yahoo dot com
Thanks so much! Enjoy.
DeleteI guess I'm boring, plain old buttermilk has been my fave but banana does sound interesting. barbie17(at)gmail(dot)com Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteNothing boring about that. They're delish!
DeleteOk a moments pause here as I wipe the drool off the keyboard. Oh my goodness the recipe BANANA PANCAKES WITH BROWN SUGAR BUTTER sounds to die for. I will be making this - and soon.
ReplyDeleteOne of our favorite pancake recipes is my homemade pecan pancakes with praline syrup. I also love blueberry pancakes especially when made from blueberries right off the bush.
Thank you for the fabulous chance to win a copy of Ellen's wonderful book!
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Thank you so much. Now I want YOUR recipe for praline syrup!
DeleteMy favorite pancakes would be those that I do not make. I just can't make a light and fluffy pancake. I like most kinds of pancakes and enjoy going to places such as IHOP and Perkins who offer seasonal pancakes. dbahn@iw.net
ReplyDeleteLove IHOP, especially their crepes.
DeleteGood morning. those pancakes look delicious - will try. Thanks for chance to win. My favorite? blueberry
ReplyDeleteOOPS - Diane
ReplyDeleteStrawberry pancakes with strawberry syrup.
ReplyDeleteBecky Prazak
rjprazak6@gmail.com
Welcome, Ellen! My favorite pancake is classic Blueberry. EMS591@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI actually love plain old buttermilk pancakes with strawberries all over!!!!
ReplyDeleteOneponychick66@hotmail.com
This time of year, pumpkin pancakes! marthajane758@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea. Especially with pumpkin butter and maple syrup. #sugarhigh
DeleteYum. Bananas foster meets a southern praline!
ReplyDeletelibbydodd at comcast dot net
You got it, Libby! I could have called these Bananas Foster pancakes but since I already have a Bananas Foster Coffee Cake recipe in a previous book, I decided to mix it up a bit.
DeleteI thought those were pralines in the picture at first, but those pancakes look equally tasty! I don't usually eat pancakes, but I like them plain with real butter & real maple syrup. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe, Ellen! Please don't include me in the giveaway, as I already have a copy of Mardi Gras Murder. Love this series so much!!
ReplyDeleteAmanda, thank you so much!! And you're right. They do like pralines. Which are surprisingly difficult to make. (See future book #5.)
DeleteYour books sound great ! Thanks for the contest. At least if I don't win I can get them from the library. trwilliams 69 at msn dot com
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. I half-live at the library. I have four books on hold there right now. Libraries are a reader's best friend. AND an author's!
DeleteI like plain ole buttermilk pancakes with syrup. Nothing fancy here.
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
Nothing like a good, old-fashioned pancake.
DeleteThese sound great! I like buttermilk, blueberry, chocolate chip, and banana pancakes. Can't wait to read this book!!! mcastor07 (at) gmail (dot) com.
ReplyDeleteChocolate chip. Yum. Now I want them.
DeleteBe still my heart -- these look amazing! My favorite pancakes (until these) are Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes. bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net
ReplyDeleteOatmeal buttermilk. New to me. With syrup, I bet they're like an oatmeal cookie!
DeleteThose look delicious! I've always been fond of simple blueberry pancakes. mbradeen [at] yahoo [dot] com
ReplyDeleteLOVE blueberries in every way, shape, and form.
DeleteI love adding walnuts to the top of my pancakes. The nuttiness makes it taste wholesome. It would be great to read your book. bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteNuts - a nice contrast to all the sugar in the butter!
DeleteI love any pancake, but I once made some confetti birthday cake pancakes that were yummo.
ReplyDeletedonah42 at aol dot com
Those sound delish!
DeletePecan pancakes with warm butter pecan syrup and butter are my favorite pancakes. lnchudej@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteChocolate chip pancakes are my favorite. The recipes looks and sounds delicious. I love this series. Thank you for this chance! areewekidding(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI love chocolate chip pancakes, especially the ones from IHOP.
Delete