Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes with Pineapple Sauce and Macadamia Butter

 

So last week was Fat Tuesday and it has always been a tradition for me to have pancakes for good luck.  And I'm in the midst of my post-trip Disney blues, which meant that no ordinary pancakes would do.  I'm craving Disney, in the worst possible way...  For lucky pancakes, nothing short of Disney pancakes could be considered acceptable.

Apparently, I must have pleased the Tiki God of pancakes (is there such a thing?) because not only did I manage to find the perfect pancake recipe, but it is from Kona Cafe at the Polynesian.

Can I just say, if there was ever in the world a recipe that was more like a warm hug then this one, honestly, I don't know what it is.  First off, that amazing smell every morning that floats through the Polynesian?  Turns out it's these pancakes.  It's the most beautiful smell and it instantly brought me back to Disney.  All that was missing was the tiki music and a tropical fountain.  Seriously, I got a little choked up.

I'll admit that while these may not look terribly gorgeous (and they don't at Kona either), as far as taste, let me just say...  Pure heaven.  These may be the best pancakes I've had in my entire life, and that's saying something as I'm quite the pancake connoisseur.  They taste deliciously sweet, and the pineapple paired with the butter creates this beautiful, nutty, tropical flavor that goes so well with the pancakes.  I'm not joking when I say that now I crave these pancakes...  All the time.  They're really just that good.

I made no real changes to the recipe, other then accidentally burning the toasted macadamia nuts ever so slightly.  I suggest making the pineapple sauce first, allowing that to cook while preparing the pancakes.  The nut butter keeps really, really well in the fridge and, as I've discovered, tastes good on everything.  I'm almost embarrassed to share all the things I've put it on.

A simple-to-make, insanely delicious pancake recipe that makes my house smell like the Polynesian?  I may be in serious trouble...

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Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes with Pineapple Sauce and Macadamia Butter

As is served at Kona Cafe, Disney's Polynesian Resort

 

Pancakes

°o°  1 1/4 cups brown sugar
°o°  3 teaspoons baking powder

°o°  1/4 teaspoon salt

°o°  2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
°o°  1/2 - 3/4 cups toasted macadamia nuts, finely chopped

°o°  1 1/2 cups milk

°o°  3 eggs

°o°  4 tablespoons vegetable oil

°o°  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
°o°  1 teaspoon pineapple extract

Pineapple Sauce

°o°  1 can crushed pineapple, well drained
°o°  1 cup brown sugar

°o°  1/2 teaspoon salt

Macadamia Nut Butter

°o°  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

°o°  1/4 cup toasted macadamia nuts, finely chopped
°o°  1/4 cup honey

Pancakes

Sift flour into a medium bowl, then ad sugar, baking powder, salt, and macadamia nuts.  Stir until combined.  Add eggs, milk, oil, and extracts and beat until all ingredients are moistened and the batter is smooth.  

On a heated, slightly greased skillet or electric griddle, pour 1/4 cup per pancake onto skillet and cook until bubbles form through the pancake and the sides look cooked.  Flip and cook other side until golden brown.  Top with pineapple sauce and nut butter, if desired.  Serve warm.

Pineapple Sauce

Combine all ingredients and spread on a cookie sheet or dish.  Bake in oven preheated to 350 until slightly browned.  If the chutney-like sauce is too dry, add some of the liquid that was drained from the crushed pineapple. 

Macadamia Nut Butter
Combine all ingredients and beat together with a fork until creamy.  Serve either chilled or at room temperature, but store in the fridge.

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