Grandma Schatz Apple Pancakes

I created this recipe from my memory of the pancakes my Grandma cooked for us. These are not cake pancakes, but more like a dumpling dough. The one thing I omit is the melted butter she always added into the batter. Sauteeing the apples in butter, and serving the pancakes with butter, in my opinion, is, as Grandma would say, "gut genug!" (good enough!)

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 2
• Yields: 2 9-Inch Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2  apples
• 2  eggs
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  almond extract
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  tablespoons butter, for cooking
•  cinnamon
•  nutmeg

Directions

1. I start with two ten-inch non-stick skillets on my two front burners. This way, the two pancakes are ready at the same time -- and cleanup is very quick for non-stick pans.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in each pan.
3. Wash and core apples. Do not peel. Cut in half. Then cut each half into about 8 slices.
4. Put slices in each pan, arranging them in circle along edge of pan, and fill the center with 3 or 4 slices or as best they fit.
5. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and nutmeg.
6. Allow apples to cook until softened over low to medium heat. They will caramelize a little; just don't let them burn. This takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, scramble the eggs in medium mixing bowl.
8. Add flour and salt, stirring in with fork until completely mixed.
9. Add milk and extracts, stirring until smooth.
10. Pour batter slowly around the apple slices in the pan, taking care to cover all the spaces between the slices and have a solid pancake. The apples will not be completely covered. I just eyeball the amounts to divide the batter evenly.
11. Keeping flame low, cook pancake, uncovered, for approximately ten minutes.
12. When pancake is solid enough to hold together, slide wide nylon spatula under pancake and flip over.
13. Cook for a few more minutes, checking for a little golden browning on the pancake.
14. Slide onto plate and top with butter and maple syrup.
15. FLIPPING PANCAKE: I usually slide the pancake out onto a dinner plate, then take the frying pan and hold it over the plate like a cover in my left hand; then take the plate with my right hand and simultaneously turn the pan back to its upright position with the plate dumping the pancake directly into the pan. I haven't lost one yet! 8-).