Quick & Easy - Cream Cheese Pancakes

A while back, I suggested to Russell that we should try eating gluten-free for a little while; partly because I wanted to learn more about the diet & partly because I wanted to see if we would feel any different.  To prepare for this adventure, I did a lot of research on Pinterest (where else?) and found a recipe for these pancakes that doesn't require the use of any flour whatsoever.  Interesting...  I pinned the link to my recipes board & forgot all about it.

A few Saturdays after I found the recipe I woke up craving pancakes but I didn't want to go through all the labor of making traditional buttermilk pancakes; not to mention I didn't even have buttermilk in my house.  Frustrated but not ready to give up, I got on my computer to start browsing for options when I stumbled upon the G'free pancakes again.  I wasn't exactly in the mood for experimenting with a new recipe @ 9am on a Saturday morning but my craving was too strong & I gave in.

I didn't have to buy black bean or garbanzo bean flour...
     2 ounces cream cheese
     2 eggs
     1 teaspoon sugar
     0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon

This is the quickest pancake batter ever...
     Combine all the ingredients in a personal-sized blender & blend until combined
     Let the batter rest for 2 minutes
     Pour one-quarter of the batter into a well greased pan & cook for 1 minute per side

 Makes 4 pancakes

The end product looked more like crepes than pancakes because they were think with a lacy boarder rather than hearty and fluffy.  I guess that's to be expected since there is no leavening agent in the batter.  In terms of texture, they were close to the real thing but they did feel slightly spongy & perhaps "squeaked" between my teeth on occasional bites.  I liked that these pancakes were not too sweet so I could add fruit, powdered sugar, or syrup to them without taking it overboard.  I added a "relish" of macerated cherries this time because I didn't have any maple syrup @ home & I had gotten some delicious cherries from a work gathering a few days before.

I made the mistake of trying to flip the pancakes before the 1 minute was up.  Big mistake.  These little sheets were so thin & delicate they ripped under the slightest bit of pressure.  I was able to fix the mishap by re-greasing my pan with cooking spray after each pancake & to make sure to wait @ least 1 minute before going anywhere near the pan with a spatula.

Since these pancakes were so light, a single service of 4 pancakes was not enough and I ended up making myself a smoothie afterwards.  Nevertheless, this was a simple & delicious introduction to gluten-free cooking.

By the way...we have yet to go on that G'free diet.