Paleo Pear Pancakes

These little pancakes trick you into thinking you are eating grains.  I often hear from people starting paleo that they miss bread and grains.  All I have to say to that is, "Get creative!"  These delicious little breakfast pancakes are made with applesauce and almond butter and taste delicious!  I added some sauteed pear slices for a little pizazz.  Everyone enjoyed them and, better yet, they keep well in the fridge for breakfast the next day!

A healthy breakfast that feeds a family!

Ingredients (makes about 10 pancakes):
1/2c (rounded) unsweetened applesauce
1/2c (rounded) creamy almond butter
3 large eggs, preferably omega-3 enriched
2 pears cored and thinly sliced
2tbs pure maple syrup
1tbs virgin coconut oil for cooking

Directions:
1. In a bowl, combined pear slices and syrup.  Then, in a large nonstick saute pan, heat 1-2tsp coconut oil until it melts.  Add pear slices and cook until softening and beginning to brown.  Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together applesauce and almond butter until well combined.  Right before cooking, stir in eggs until a thick batter forms.
3. On a nonstick skillet or large pan, heat the remaining coconut oil over medium high heat.  Drop an ice cream scooper size mound onto the preheated skillet and spread slightly to form a pancake side.  When the top starts to bubble, press in 2 pear slices into the batter.  When you can lift the pancake and it is browning nicely, flip it and cook a few minutes on the other side (if it's cooking too quickly turn the heat down to medium).  Repeat with the remaining batter.
4. Serve warm with extra maple syrup if desired.  Leftovers keep well in the fridge for a day or two!  Just reheat in the microwave and serve.

In Celebration of Fall: Pear Corn Muffins

I can't decide whether I want it to be fall or summer so I keep flip flopping and making both summer and fall seasonal recipes.  Pear is a wonderful fall fruit that takes center stage in this moist muffin.  It's a tender moist bite with a rich candy-like-pear flavor.  What a perfect way to celebrate the end of summer.

Celebrate the fruits of fall with a pear muffin!

Ingredients:
2c peeled, cored and diced rip pears (I used 4 small pears)
3/4c corn flour (substitute cornmeal if desired)
3/4c sorghum flour
1/4c tapioca starch
1tsp sea salt
1tbs baking powder
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/4c canola oil
1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed
1/3c buttermilk (use hemp, rice or soy if vegan)
2/3c brown sugar
1tbs vanilla extract
raw sugar, to sprinkle on top

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line muffin tin with muffin cups (12).
2. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (except sugar).  In another bowl, beat together wet ingredients and brown sugar.  Add the wet mixture into the dry and beat until well blended (batter will be thick).  Stir in the pears evenly.
3. I use an ice cream scooper to drop in batter into the prepared cups (they will be pretty full).  Sprinkle with raw sugar and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Remove muffins from pan as soon as possible to keep from getting soggy at the bottom.  Continue to cool.  Wrap and freeze to store.

Raw Sugar makes a wonderful crunchy crust on top