All too often pancakes are cloyingly sweet and anemic in texture. When we take the time to griddle some for breakfast (like during the 4th of July holiday weekend), we like to make them big and hearty with seriously browned crusts. Semolina flour and brown butter make this a very grown-up pancake, at least so far as breakfast food can feel grown up, and sweet-and-savory macerated blackberries, fragrant with lemon zest and pomegranate molasses, are the perfect counterpart.
If you don't have the ingredients for the topping, these pancakes are equally delicious with maple syrup or raspberry jam. If you don't have any semolina flour, just use all-purpose. Happy 4th of July!
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook
Cooking Time
45 minutes
Serves
2 morning people
Tools
Mixing bowls
Liquid and solid measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Microplane
Chef's knife and cutting board
Nonstick or cast iron skillet or griddle
6 oz. blackberries
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Kosher or sea salt
Black pepper
1 small handful mint, picked from stems and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons canola oil
Steps
1. Combine blackberries, sugar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Let rest at room temperature, stirring occasionally (you can be a little rough; it's okay if the blackberries break up), until pancakes are ready. Stir in mint just before serving.
2. Heat butter in skillet over medium until browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool down.
3. Whisk together flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and cooled melted butter. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Pour in buttermilk mixture and mix until just incorporated; batter should be lumpy with a few streaks of flour remaining.
4. Grease skillet with 1 teaspoon oil and heat over medium. When pan is hot, add 1 cup pancake batter and spread into a circle about 8" in diameter with the back of a spatula. Cook until first side of pancake is well browned and batter is peppered with little holes, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until second side is well-browned and pancake is cooked through (a skewer or chopstick inserted into the middle of the pancake should come out clean), about 5 minutes. Cooking times will vary here; we've found each pancake can take anywhere from 9 to 12 minutes. Just keep an eye on the heat, adjusting as necessary to get a nicely browned crust and prevent burning.
5. Repeat with remaining batter, re-oiling skillet as necessary (you will end up with four big pancakes). Serve each pancake hot out of the pan topped with plenty of blackberries and eat it as the next one cooks.
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| We couldn't decide which close-up was better, so here you go. |
You guys do a great job with the writing and the photography. I always look forward to your posts!
ReplyDeleteAndrew! Thanks so much for your nice comment. It made my day.
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