Banana Grand Marnier Pancakes

One of the perks of Rick's job at the Sagebrush Inn in Taos, as the guy in charge of ordering for all the bars and restaurants, is the sales reps like to give him samples. The other day he brought home a bottle of an orange liquer that's similar to Grand Marnier. And this, of course, made me think of pancakes.

Years ago, on a camping trip, my friend Roger made the most amazing breakfast for everyone in our group. Banana Grand Marnier Pancakes, cooked in a cast iron skillet over an open fire. Or maybe it was a camp stove. I know for sure we were outside... Anyway, I've made these at home lots of times since, and thought I'd try a batch with the new "orange juice."

Before we start, I want to tell you that this was not one of my biggest successes. In fact, they didn't work out well at all. But because I know this is a good recipe in the right hands, and the right pan, I'm sharing it with you anyway. If you make these, and they look pretty, please send me a picture and I'll add it to the post.

Here's what you'll need: bananas, nuts (pecans are the best I think), butter, and lots of it,
the pancake batter of your choice, and a bottle of Grand Marnier.
Go for the real stuff. Nothing else works as well for this.

I used an enameled iron skillet, which is not non-stick, but is healthy to cook in.
I sprayed it with organic cooking oil stuff, and added Earth Balance "butter," because this is
 a vegan version of the recipe. So, get the butter hot and melty, throw in the sliced bananas, nuts, and a big slosh of Grand Marnier. When it starts to thicken and bubble, which happens quickly, pour pancake batter over the bananas.

Let it cook slowly, so the batter has a chance to set up while the gooey goodness on the bottom caramelizes. When the edges start to dry and the center forms little bubbles, peek under the edge and see if it's browned enough to flip.
Now comes the hard part. This is where I always go wrong.

I am the Queen of Scrambled Pancakes.
I could blame it on the fact that I used vegan butter and made a batter without eggs,
which probably had something to do with the sticking and the non-binding, but honestly,
this is how my pancakes have almost always looked, with very few exceptions over many
years of trying. Pancakes are not my strong point by any means.
But if you are a good pancake cooker, you will have no problem.
Make these. You will love them.

Rick loved them. He stood there eating and feeding me bites as I cooked batch after batch.
We never made it to the table, and I never got a pretty one. I just kept cooking,
and wishing I had a non-stick frying pan. Even the fancy Italian ceramic-coated
"non stick" pan didn't work for me, so I guess I'll just call it Bad Pancake Karma.
Either that, or officially invent a recipe for Scrambled Pancakes.

Here's a good cleaning tip, when you make a mess of your enamel cookware. While it's still hot, sprinkle the pan with a generous dose of baking soda, and add water to cover the stuck food. After a few minutes it will wash right off without scrubbing.
And if you want to borrow Lucy, she will gladly clean up any
leftover pancakes you might make.