February/March 2014
Snow be damned.
Schedules be damned.
Saturdays and Sundays are made for pancakes… and plaids and plums and perfectly alliterative, relaxing mornings. When the plaid bearer is a flapjack-flipping professional, the result is a most lovely stack of buckwheat wholesomeness. Though I do love maple syrup more than most people, sometimes a stack of pancakes calls for a dollop or two of something fancy.
In my world, these weekend ‘cakes paired perfectly with a bright red, roasted plum sauce leftover from a Valentine’s Day festivity and a hearty spoonful of rum-whipped cream, but I bring these recipes to you just in time for National Pancake Day.
Buttermilk Buckwheat Pancakes w/ Orange-Cranberry Roasted Plums & Rum Whipped Cream
Orange-Cranberry Sugar
(to be used on the roasted plums)
Ingredients
2 organic oranges, zested
2 cups organic evaporated cane juice sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 cup chopped fresh cranberries, chopped
Directions
Combine all ingredients together in a jar, and stir to combine.
Roasted Plums
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons organic, unsalted butter
*2/3 cup orange-cranberry sugar (recipe below)
2/3 cup orange juice
8 large purple or red plums, (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved and pitted
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in a 3-quart shallow baking dish; melt in preheating oven, about 3 minutes.
Add honey and orange juice to dish; stir until combined.
Arrange plums, cut side down, in baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan, and flip plums. Spoon juices over plums, and then sprinkle with orange-cranberry sugar.
Return to oven for 10 minutes more, or until tender and juicy. If needed, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of water to dish to prevent scorching.
Rum Whipped Cream
Ingredients
1 cup organic whipping cream
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 Tablespoons spiced rum
Directions
Chill the cream in a mixing bowl in the freezer until the cream just starts to freeze. Remove from the freezer. Add the vanilla and maple syrup.
Use a mixer, on medium speed, to beat until peaks begin to form.
Add the rum, and continue to mix until combined. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Buttermilk Buckwheat Pancakes
Makes 14 to 15 4-inch pancakes, serves 2-3
Ingredients
Olive oil for coating the pan
1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 Tablespoons organic, unsalted butter, melted
1 organic egg
2 cups organic buttermilk
Directions
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients and start stirring.
Beat the egg with a fork and stir it into half of the buttermilk.
Add the buttermilk/egg mixture to the dry ingredients, then slowly add in the rest of the buttermilk as needed to get to the right consistency for your batter (you may not need all of the buttermilk, depending on what type of buttermilk you are using and the brand of flour).
Stir only until everything is combined. Do not overmix. A few lumps are fine.
Heat a well-seasoned griddle, cast iron skillet, or stick-free pan on medium heat. Put a small amount (a half teaspoon) of olive oil on the pan or griddle and swirl it around to coat the pan.
Ladle the batter onto the hot surface to the desired size, about 4-5 inches wide.
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Allow the pancake to cook for 2-3 minutes on this first side. Watch for bubbles on the surface of the pancake. When air bubbles start to rise to the surface at the center of the pancake, flip the pancake. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Keep your pancakes warm on a rack in the oven set on “warm,” or stack them on a plate and cover with a towel as you make more. Spread more oil on the pan as needed between batches of pancakes.
Serve with roasted plums and whipped cream.
Happy Feasting (if that’s your Tuesday night thing)!
-Quelcy
