These pancakes are quite excellent. Published in March 2012 Bon Appetit (from a restaurant in New York called Moderne Barn), I knew they were something we would love, but I wasn’t expecting the divine smell that lingered in our home the entire day. It was almost better than the pancakes themselves. So, a must try, but with cooking the pineapple, these pancakes took upwards of 30-45 minutes to complete–not really a fast breakfast, but great for a special one. The last time I made them, my husband was out of town, so I can’t wait to make them again 🙂

Moderne Barn’s Pineapple Upside-down Pancakes

1 T. unsalted butter
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 large pineapple, peeled, cut into eight 1/2″ rounds, cored
3/4 c. dark rum (I don’t have rum on hand, so I used a little rum extract with about 1/2 c. water, but apple juice may be better)
1/4 c. (packed) dark brown sugar

1 c. all-purpose flour
3 T. sugar
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. kosher salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 large egg
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 t. vanilla extract
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Melt butter with cinnamon stick in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook until butter begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add pineapple slices; cook until light golden brown, 4–5 minutes per side. Remove skillet from heat; add rum and brown sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until juices are thick and syrupy. Transfer pineapple to a plate; let cool. Reserve syrup.

Preheat oven to 325°. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add buttermilk and next 3 ingredients; whisk until smooth.

Heat a griddle or large heavy skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat with nonstick spray. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/4-cupfuls onto griddle. Cook each pan- cake until golden brown and bubbles form on top, about 2 minutes. Top each pancake with a pineapple ring. Flip; cook until pancake is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Place pancakes on prepared rack and bake in oven until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Rewarm reserved pineapple syrup. Divide pancakes among plates; drizzle with pineapple syrup.