What do you think of when you hear "peanut butter and ____________"?
If you're American, it might be jelly.
(Actually, even if you're Australian it might be jelly, even though 'jelly' is actually 'jam' to us.)
It might be chocolate.
Or toast.
It might even be a spoon.
If you're me, it is peanut butter and banana.
It seems I'm not alone: there are 27.900,000 Google results for 'peanut butter and banana', to 3,230,000 results for 'peanut butter and jelly'.
My peanut butter and banana connotations stem from one of my regular 3-year-old lunches, a peanut butter and banana sandwich on wholemeal bread. It is one of my earliest food memories, and strongly linked to my mother (who made me the sandwiches, and, I believe, ate them alongside me).
As I got older, I liked peanut butter and banana less and less. I moved to vegemite sandwiches with an apple on the side, leaving the peanut butter and bananas to my brother and sister. It is only in the last 5 years that I have re-discovered peanut butter (only in natural and crunchy form you understand) and I still prefer my bananas in frozen or baked form, rather than fresh.
Sometimes, though, a craving for peanut butter and banana together will hit me. I am never sure if it is physiological (healthy fats and potassium?) or psychological (the comfort of being 3?), but it is certainly a flavour combination that has stayed in my memory and my imagination.
Today, we have peanut butter and banana pikelets. They are, if I say so myself, quite delicious.
Pikelets with peanut butter, banana and hemp seeds
Adapted from my apple and sultana quinoa pikelets
Makes about 16 pikelets
Vegan
Ingredients
1 medium-large or 2 small bananas
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup quinoa flakes (see note below)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
2 tsp chia seeds soaked in 1/4 cup water
2 tsp hemp seeds
3/4 cup almond milk, or milk of choice
2 tbsp peanut butter
Oil spray for coating the pan
Note. I used quinoa flakes because I enjoyed them in my apple and sultana pikelets, and still had some in the pantry. If you don't have any, or don't want to use them, you could substitute oats or plain wholemeal flour (or even plain white flour).
Method
Slice your banana/s thinly and then cut each slice in half.
Combine the flour, quinoa flakes, bicarbonate soda, chia seeds in water, hemp seeds and almond milk. Stir well to combine.
Add the banana slices and peanut butter and mix through the batter.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and drop dessertspoonfuls of mixture onto the pan. I did 3 - 4 pikelets at a time. Cook until bubbles start to appear (1 - 2 minutes) and then flip and repeat, so both sides are browned. Repeat for the other pikelets.
I think these are best served warm shortly after cooking, but they were also enjoyable cold and should keep for several days in an airtight container. I didn't think of it at the time, but some cinnamon would work well in the mix too.
So tell me - what is your 'peanut butter and ___' combination?
Or, what are your 3-year-old food memories like?!
So tell me - what is your 'peanut butter and ___' combination?
Or, what are your 3-year-old food memories like?!
This post is part of my Vegan Month of Food contributions for October 2012, and is
also submitted to Ricki's Wellness Weekend
The pikelets look lovely but I'm one of the few odd people in the world that doesn't like peanut butter. I do want to try cooking with hemp seeds one day.
ReplyDeleteI went through a period of being the same (with peanut butter) so I do understand :) Hemp seeds are worth trying - I don't use them in large quantities but I do love them.
DeleteI've had peanut butter with chocolate but never peanut butter with banana. I had banana and sugar sandwiches when I was growing up which I loved. These pikelets are a great idea xx
ReplyDeleteBanana and sugar sandwiches are something I've never had, but I did like cinnamon toast as a child and that was as much sugar as cinnamon! The things we eat growing up :-)
DeleteLove your peanut butter reflections - and your pikelets. I think I would say peanut butter and toast - these days I restrict my peanut butter to toast or sandwiches rather than baking because of sylvia's allergy. I loved peanut butter as a child so I think it has a great comfort element to me but it tastes great too. (BTW I checked and there are 59,800,000 results when I googled peanut butter and chocolate - a combination I would probably do occasionally if not for the allergy)
ReplyDeletePeanut butter and chocolate would definitely be my second thought after banana - and probably my favoured one :-) I remember the utter joy at being introduced to Reese's peanut butter cups as a teenager. The combination is quite magical!
DeleteI am sure that I am in the minority on this one, but I can't stand peanut butter! The consistency and smell just creeps me out. My friends would chase me around the house with open jars of it when we were little. It was traumatic.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
Twitter: @GlamKitten88
Eek. Look away from the pikelets!
DeletePeanut butter and spoon.
ReplyDeleteEntirely predictable :-)
DeleteI eat almost every banana with peanut butter or in something that has peanut butter. They were made for each other.
ReplyDeletePeanut butter and banana, I'm in! Though I do love my peanut butter and jelly here but I even like it more on toasted bread and sliced banana in between!
ReplyDeleteYou've intrigued me with these quinoa flakes, I don't think I've ever seen or heard about them. And pikelets? Is that Aussie lingo for pancakes? Do you top them with maple syrup?
Now that is an idea - peanut butter and jelly AND banana!
DeleteQuinoa flakes are sold alongside breakfast oats in some of our supermarkets. They're interesting little things, more like quick cooking oats than quinoa really. And pikelets are like small pancakes, but generally made with some rising agent (self-raising flour or baking powder) and without much added sugar. They're a bit fluffier and lighter than pancakes and often include fruit in the mix, with toppings of jam or honey or butter as alternatives to syrup. I used to think they were English but they're one of those foods where the origin is unclear - not American, though, I do know that!
Wasn't it Elvis that started the peanut butter and banana craze?
ReplyDeleteI'm giving my age away when I say I think of peanut butter and marshmallow creme. The fluffernutter. :)
I'd eat your peanut butter and banana pikelets with joy though. :)
I think you might be right about Evlis. I certainly associate him with peanut butter and banana, so even if he didn't start the craze he probably built it up!
DeleteI have never had marshmallow creme...one day ;)
Yummo - I love a good pikelet, and peanut butter and banana ones sound delish.
ReplyDeleteThese piklets look adorable! I've honestly never heard of them before...they're like cutesy, mini-pancakes! And I definitely think peanut butter and jelly. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate! I think pikelets might be an Australian / English thing, but mini pancakes is a pretty good description :)
DeletePerfect - PB + BANANA is just THE BEST!!
ReplyDeleteClassic combo, in my opinion. Although it could juuuuust be improved by a drizzle of dark chocolate if you were feeling rather indulgent?
Pikelets remind me so much of childhood :)
Me too (re. childhood) :)
DeletePeanut butter and banana is delicious! Whacked on a slice of sourdough and it's an easy instant energy breakfast.
ReplyDeleteI have been known to peel a banana and slap some peanut butter directly on to the banana for a snack as well, (just quietly ;-)
peanut butter and honey can never go wrong and as a kid I used to eat... peanut butter, honey, cheese, banana, sultana sandwiches. Yep, quite the mouthful there.
as for pikelets, obviously a winner dear Kari!
I did peanut butter and honey as a child too, but definitely never with cheese! I do like the idea of your sandwich minus the cheese though :)
DeleteThanks for such a nice guide lines on Hemp Seeds
ReplyDeleteThanks Bertha
Delete