Cardamon Oatmeal Pancakes with Apricots and Almonds

When Mark Bittman announced the end of the Minimalist, his weekly food column for the New York Times, I was a bit devastated. I so looked forward to his quirky videos and creative recipes each week. In my opinion, he was the face and character of the New York Times food section. He introduced me to fabulous recipes like tomato jam, West African peanut soup, corn and tomato salad, and strawberries with almond creme anglaise. His recipes always promised something fun and different with a few clever witticisms thrown in for good measure. The Minimalist will certainly be missed.

Anyways, I thought I would post a Minimalist recipe today in honor of our departing friend. When I saw these pancakes I was smitten. I love cardamon in any capacity and featured in a warm breakfast treat with oatmeal, apricots, and almonds sounded particularly delicious. I altered Bittman's recipe a bit based on the ingredients I had and the pancakes turned out beautifully. Served alongside a fresh fruit salad, I can't imagine a better way to enjoy breakfast, with a nod to one of my favorite cooks.

Cardamom Oatmeal Pancakes with Apricots and Almonds
Adapted from Mark Bittman

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 heaping teaspoon of ground cardamom
Dash of salt
1 egg
1/2-3/4 cup of milk, depending on how thick your batter is
1 cup quick cooking oats cooked with 2 cups of water, or a scant 2 cups of cooked oats
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots or other dried fruit
Butter for frying
Honey or warm maple syrup for serving

1. Mix together both flours, oats, almonds, cardamom, and salt in a medium bowl. In a smaller bowl, beat together egg and 1/2 cup of milk. Slowly add the oatmeal, a spoonful at a time so as not to cook the eggs, and mix well. Stir in apricots.

2. Gently add oatmeal mixture to the dry ingredients. Slowly add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is the same consistency as thick pancake batter.

3. Heat a few tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drop in pancakes and cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles on the top of the pancakes pop. Flip and cook 2 more minutes on the other side. Serve with honey or warm maple syrup.

Serves about 4