Ever watched a good peach go bad? It’s a real tragedy. Some gorgeous organic peaches withered away on my kitchen counter last week. Those peaches sprouted some unsightly fuzz as they waited their turn to be used in a blog recipe. It’s my fault. I forgot how quickly a good peach can go bad. I still feel as though I’ve committed a grievous crime. It was, at minimum, a serious violation of my own summer peach policy. Better to eat a ripe peach over the sink than to let it go to waste. Right?
I’m practicing peach repentance with pancakes. Oat and yogurt-based pancakes that are fluffy, gluten free and gently spiced. Thinly sliced peaches caramelize against one side of the cakes once you flip them over.
I owe credit for the idea to Ali and Deb. Ali commented a couple of days ago on my blueberry lemon yogurt pancakes. She said she made them with peaches and they were divine. You guys have the best ideas (thanks, Ali!). Her comment reminded me of Deb’s peach pancake cooking method in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, where she pours batter onto a hot pan and tops the pancake with peach slices before flipping it over. I had to make those peach pancakes immediately, with fresh Missouri peaches. Ali was right—they are divine, if I say so myself.
These oat-based pancakes are gluten free, so they are a little more delicate than most at the flipping point. Just be gentle and they’ll turn out great. I made them on buttered cast iron and on a non-stick griddle (no butter). The butter makes them taste sort of doughnut-y, which is nice, but I preferred the cleaner taste of the non-stick surface. This could be because I grew up eating Bisquick pancakes cooked on an electric skillet. To each her own. If you have a favorite pancake recipe, you can totally caramelize peaches on them using this method! Try it!
