Wake and Bake: Rye Pancakes With Apple-Maple Compote

I would love to say that I'm sitting here, sleeves rolled up, windows open, watching errant flower petals float in on the breeze. In reality, I'm probably sitting next to the space heater while wrapped up in this heavy tweed all purpose shmata which my mother knitted for me in December and which I've worn pretty much every day since. Spring, you're not making this easy.

There are days when I make myself tropical sweets and pretend I'm somewhere warm. And there are days when I give in and say, hey, it's still comfort food season, pass the pancakes. This was one of those days.

I also decided to embrace the last of cool weather apples and use up my rye flour in one dish. The pancakes are a mix of white and rye flours, though you can definitely detect the rye. It adds a bit of textural heft and a nuttiness which you don't normally find in pancakes. The apples are diced thin, mostly because a huge pet peeve of mine is having to use a knife to cut fruit that's served over pancakes that you could otherwise just cut with a fork. The apples are cooked until tender in butter (because it ain't bikini season yet), then I swirl in grade B maple syrup (the good stuff) and some cinnamon. It's actually a fairly light topping, sweet yet a little acidic; the right balance for the earthy pancakes.

Blueberry pancakes, you're in my sights. Until then, these are just right.