Crispy fall fruit. Sweet and salty baked pancake.  Dessert for breakfast.

Growing up, weekend breakfasts were always a treat.  I remember waking up on Saturdays and helping my dad make his famous pancakes.  He usually made griddlecakes and sometimes we would even take our camping stove to the beach.  He also made the most fabulous apple pancake.  This is my seasonal twist on the classic apple pancake adding salty cheddar cheese for contrast.  This is more of a fruit soufflé rather than a heavy flour pancake.

Apples and pears are starting to be in peak season right now and add color and sweet taste to any dish.  This dessert for breakfast is entirely fruit sweetened.  Top with yogurt, whipped cream or maple syrup if desired.  Enjoy with a cup of your favorite tea or coffee with pumpkin spice creamer for a cozy fall breakfast!

Bon appetit!

Pear, Apple, Cheddar Pancake

Ingredients

• 2 Bosc pears, slightly underripe
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut milk or kefir
• 3 tbsp Almond Flour
• 1 cup Dubliner cheddar cheese or sharp cheddar, shredded*

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Over medium heat, melt butter in a 9-inch skillet.
• Peel, core and thinly slice fruit. Briefly sauté fruit in butter, lemon juice and cinnamon for 5-8 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, kefir, and almond flour to a smooth batter.
• Pour batter on top of fruit and sprinkle cheese on top.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is bubbly and golden brown.

This and that

• 1 cup shredded cheese is about 4 oz. There should be enough cheese to cover the top of the pancake.  Dubliner cheddar is a mature cheese with the sweet tones of swiss and the salty, aged flavors of Parmesan.  This particular cheddar adds the perfect salty flavor to balance the sweetness of the fruit.
• Any sharp cheddar cheese will do the trick, however look for cheese that is either raw or made from grass-fed milk (read here for the nutritional importance of grass-fed meat and dairy).  Kerrygold has great grass-fed cheeses and you can even find them at Costco.
• For more raw cheeses, click here.