Pan-Fried Apple Rings with a Cider Maple Reduction (Gluten-Free)

So continues the focus on seasonally bounty with Food Network Blog's feature on Fall Fest. Yay! This week, it's apples. How timely. Last Sunday at my local farmer's market I was overwhelmed with how many types of apples they had. They sampled all I wanted to taste. I ended up picking Courtland apples mainly for their appearance: nice and round with light green and pink skin.

Lately, I've been craving pancakes. I decided to feature these beautiful apples as close to unadulterated as possible by just coring, slicing, dipping in a pancake batter and pan-frying them into pan-fried apple rings. Leaving the skin on for nutritional quality and ease. It gets better... Why not incorporate my favorite harvest time beverage into this recipe? Hard apple cider! If you want to go non-alcoholic, go for the wonderful fresh ciders out now at the local farmer's markets. It adds the brightness and acidity to both the pancake batter, and reduced with maple syrup for the topping sauce. For the pancake batter, I liked the idea of using almond flour and millet for sweet nuttiness and adding in some spices for warmth and complexity. I'm loving mace lately. It is a lighter, brighter version of nutmeg. And it's the outside coating of a nutmeg. Enjoy! I sure did!

Ingredients

3 large Apples of your choice, cored and sliced thick, 1/4-1/2 inch.

For the Pancake batter:

• 25 grams almond flour, blanched
• 25 grams brown rice flour
• 25 grams millet flour
• 25 grams sweet rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon mace or nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 50 grams sugar of your choice
• 100 grams (hard) apple cider of your choice, room temp.
• 1 large egg (50 grams), room temp, lightly scrambled
• 25 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

For the Cider Maple reduction:

• Remaining cider, about 1 cup
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• pinch salt

Directions

For the Pancake batter:
In a medium bowl mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, spices until well mixed. Stir in the cider, mix until incorporated. Follow by addition and mixing of the egg and butter into the batter.

For the Cider Maple reduction:
In a medium sauce pan, reduce the cider over low heat. Allow to cook off most of the liquid without burning. Will become dark and thicker. Remove from heat. Put in butter and maple syrup. Stir and wait to top the pan-fried apple slices.

Heat up a large skillet over medium heat. Put in a minimal about of oil. Coat each apple slice with pancake batter. Transfer to the skillet. Careful not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook in batches. Turn once the edges have browned after a couple of minutes. Cook on other side for a couple of minutes. Serve with a drizzle of the cider maple syrup reduction.

This is part of Food Network's Fall Fest. Check out The FN Dish. The seasonal produce we are focusing on is the glorious apple! Here are other delicious features on apples:

CIA Dropout: Apple-Roasted Duck
Cooking Channel: Add Apples to Your Salad
The Cultural Dish: Apple Cider Martini
And Love It Too: Fried Apples (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free and Vegan)
From My Corner of Saratoga: Easy Skillet Apple Pie (A Southern Living Recipe Reviewed)
Haute Apple Pie: Baked Apple Pancake
Virtually Vegan Mama: Slow Cooker Apple Date Butter
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Apple Pancakes
What's Gaby Cooking: Apple Cake
FN Dish: Savory Apple Recipes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Apple and Caramelized Onion Soup
Zaika Zabardast: Chocolate Apple Pie Breakfast Pop Tarts
The Sensitive Epicure: Pan Fried Apple Rings (Gluten-Free)
Glory Foods: Caramel Apple Upside Down Cupcakes
Daily*Dishin: Apple, Bacon, Feta Salad With Maple Vinaigrette

Dishin & Dishes: Old Fashioned Apple Crisp
Cooking With Elise: Wholegrain Apple Oat Pancakes

-Erin Swing
The Sensitive Epicure