Apple Cider Pecan Pancakes with Cider Syrup

Crisp  blue autumn mornings inspire me to  make somethng special for breakfast,  forgetting about carbs  for a few  minutes  now and then.  Whether I  make the pancakes from scratch  or am in a hurry and/or  lazy and use whatever pancake mix I have on hand; the cider and other add-ins make them  delicious.   If you must,  top with  maple  syrup,   but  since you have the cider there  take a moment to make this tasty alternative.

Make almost   any pancake batter  as directed, with the amount  of oil and egg  directed on the box or following your usual recipe.  For the liquid, instead of milk or water use either regular cider or sparkling cider.   Look for sparkling cider  packaged like  a bottle of wine.   It  produces lighter,  pouf-ier  pancakes.    Stir   in chopped  apples, skin on, and chopped walnuts or pecans, and 1/4 tsp apple pie spice per cup of  dry  pancake mix. or flour.    Cook  as directed.

 Cider Syrup:
In  a small saucepan, combine  1/4 c.  sugar, 2 tsp  cornstarch and  2/3 c. regular apple cider until smooth; then add one cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard cinnamon stick. Stir  a dash of nutmeg into syrup along with a TB of butter.  Serve pancakes with warm syrup and additional butter if desired.   Makes 2/3 cup syrup that's also delicious on French toast.

Buttermilk Cider Chicken

I see it's not on their posted menu but the Colonial Inn in Concord, MA is known for dishes like this delicious recipe that was featured in one of the cooking magazines a while back. . If you are in the Boston area, plan to visit this charming inn, a National Historic Landmark. Maybe they'll be serving this chicken when you visit.

Place 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves in a glass dish in 1 c buttermilk. Turn to coat, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Melt 1 tb butter in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 red delicious apple and one Granny Smith apple, both cored and cut in 8 wedges. Saute til golden, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. To the same skillet, add 1 c. apple cider and boil til reduced to 1/2 c, about 8 minutes. Add 1 c. chicken broth and 1 c. heavy cream. Boil til sauce is reduced in half, about 15 minutes.

Darin chicken. Mix flour with salt and pepper. Coat chicken with the flour and cook in heavy skillet in hot oil until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates and keep in oven or tent with foil to keep warm. Add apples to the same skillet and reheat over medium heat. Divide the apples among the plates, Add the sauce to the pan and reheat. Stir in 2 TB chives, adjust seasoning to taste, Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with chopped pecans if you like.

http://www.concordscolonialinn.com/