Banana hotcakes with bacon and maple syrup

Hide bananas in a brown paper bag until they're super ripe, unappealingly brown, but sweetly funky. Salty bacon balances out the banana's sweet undertone, so don't leave it out. If you do, sprinkle over some sea salt flakes.

Credit: China Squirrel

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 225 g (1½ cups) self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 ripe banana (medium sized or 1 cup mashed)
• 250 g ricotta cheese
• 185 ml (¾ cup) buttermilk
• 3 eggs, separated
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 rashers bacon, rind removed
• soft butter and maple syrup, to serve

Instructions

Sift flour and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl, stir in sugar.

In a separate bowl, mash banana, add ricotta cheese, buttermilk and egg yolks and mix until well combined.

Place eggwhites into a clean bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat until firm peaks form.

Stir banana mixture through flour mixture, then gently fold in beaten eggwhite.

Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches drop ⅓ cup of the batter mix into pan. Cook until golden on both sides. Remove from pan and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Meanwhile, grill bacon under a hot grill until golden.

Serve warm hotcakes with bacon, butter and maple syrup.

Photography, styling and food preparation by China Squirrel.

This recipe is from Don't Call Me Brunch, our better-than-cafe weekend breakfast racket. Bunker in with us. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.