Allergy-Friendly St. Paddy’s Day Shamrock Pancakes

Our church is hosting an annual pancake breakfast in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Everyone congregates in a large meeting hall and socializes while several volunteers stand elbow to elbow flipping endless flapjacks for an hour and a half. Volunteer bakers supply dozens of loaves of Irish soda bread and there are endless pots of coffee available to all. Sounds like a fantastic time, unless you happen to be on a gluten-free diet. These gluten, corn, and casein-free shamrock pancakes are designed to make the child in your family get just as festive as everyone else, and perhaps make the other kids a little green with envy…

Ingredients:

1 cup of your favorite pancake mix

1/2 cup of finely chopped zucchini and kiwi (about 1/2 of a medium zucchini and one kiwi)

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 to 3/4 cup of milk (rice, almond, whatever you want)

1 egg

1-4 large shamrock cookie cutters (or more if you have the space).

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, whisk one egg until blended. Add oil and stir. Add finely chopped kiwi and zucchini mixture. Pour in the pancake mix. Add liquid until the mixture has a thick yet smooth consistency. Add the liquid slowly as you do not want the batter to be too runny.

Heat the griddle to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the sides of a metal shamrock shaped cookie cutter with your finger. Place the cutter on the preheated griddle. Using a spoon, gently scoop and pour the batter into the center of the cutter mold. Be sure to spread the batter evenly so that it fills the mold. A shallow mold works better than a wider width. Each pancake needs at least 3 minutes per side.

Once the pancake has set (after about 2 minutes), carefully lift the cutter off the griddle. I used a spatula and just gently lifted the cutter in one corner. The semi-cooked batter should easily separate. If it does not, just gently place the pancake and cutter back down onto the griddle. After you have successfully removed the cutter mold flip the pancake and cook it an additional 3 minutes on the other side.

I made these pancakes ahead of time and fast-froze them before storing them in a plastic bag. (This will help to keep them from sticking to each other). On the morning of the pancake breakfast I can simply toast or microwave them for the boys. This recipe makes 2-3 servings. I served these with fresh kiwi and grapes, but anything goes!

Tip: If you are looking for a hard to find cookie cutter shape, visit Kitchen Collectables. They have holiday shapes, wedding, sports, nautical, graduation, alphabet, numbers, animals, even clothes and fashion cutters. They have over 3,500 designs and even offer custom cutters.

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The editor of Healthy-family.org has a master's degree in English from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor of science degree in special education. She has taught students from early elementary school through college freshman level. Today she enjoys reading and writing about both hot topics and those not so commonly discussed on other websites. Most of her days are spent playing all kinds of make-believe with her three very young and active sons. | All articles by Caryn Talty.