Pink Pancakes

"Hide the vegetable" recipes rarely work with my kids, but these were a HUGE hit. The recipe says it serves 4 small children-- for my two kids, the hubby, and myself, we had to double the recipe.

Ingredients:
3/4 c water
1/2 c ricotta cheese
1/4 c beet puree*
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c pancake mix
1/4 c grated apple
maple syrup or fruit, for serving

*For the beet puree, I just dumped a can of beets (make sure they're just plain beets, not pickled!!) into the blender. A food processor would work, too.

In a blender or food processor, combine the water, ricotta cheese, beet puree, vanilla, and cinnamon and blend. Dump the mixture into a medium bowl, add the pancake mix and apple and stir until just combined. Do not overmix-- the batter will be a little lumpy.
Coat a griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over med-high heat. Spoon the batter onto the griddle or skillet, using about 1/4 c batter for each pancake. Cook the pancakes until bubbles form on top and the batter is set, 1-2 minutes. Then flip the pancakes with a spatula and cook until golden brown on the other side, 2-3 minutes.
Serve warm, with syrup or fruit.