I never really cared much for pancakes. Even with syrup, they always seemed really dry to me. No matter what type they were (i.e., blueberry, strawberry), pancakes were never at the top of my list of favorite breakfast foods. However, that all changed when I discovered this amazing recipe from Food52.com, a site that I frequent regularly (as you’ll see in future posts). Well technically, it was the Food52 cookbook where I first learned of this recipe.
Last winter, my friends and I rented a cabin in Lake Tahoe with some friends last winter and we were all preparing for a big Saturday night dinner that morning. N was preparing the lemon and herb roasted chicken that was to be consumed later that night, so breakfast duties fell to me. Seeing that the group wanted pancakes, I was forced to make something I didn’t even want to eat.
However, these pancakes turned out better than I had anticipated. In fact, they were the best pancakes EVER. They were light, fluffy, and most importantly… moist! The hint of lemon was also a nice touch. Paired with N’s homemade orange marmalade and served with hash browns and scrambled eggs, we had ourselves one blockbuster of a breakfast!
Lemony Cream Cheese Pancakes with Blueberries
(From Food52.com)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
2 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
1 cup buttermilk
6 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
3 teaspoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of one large lemon
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and then add the buttermilk. Add the cream cheese to the buttermilk mixture and stir until the cream cheese has separated into small lumps. Once the cream cheese has been well mixed, stir in the melted butter, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and then combine the two until well mixed. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff (but not dry) and fold them into the batter.
Heat a griddle or cast iron pan on medium high until it is hot enough (you know it is hot enough when you sprinkle water and it evaporates). Add butter or oil and spread it around, coating the pan. Drop the batter, 1/3 cup at a time, into the pan. Once the batter has spread out, add the blueberries to them. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Please note – these pancakes will need to be cooked longer than expected – they won’t bubble as quickly as much as plain pancakes will. If necessary, turn down the heat to keep from overcooking.
Serve with butter, maple syrup, jam, or marmalade.
Bro Num Two
yum, looks good. let’s do breakfast for dinner one day!