Recipe excerpted from “Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings from the Buttermilk Kitchen” by Suzanne Vizethann. Photographs by Kelly Berry. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.
Baked Strawberry Pancake with Vanilla Mascarpone
Different from traditional pancakes, this pancake gets baked in a large pan until puffed and golden. It is a fun dish to share with a couple of people. Grab a fork and dig in!
SERVES 2 TO 4
FOR THE WHIPPED VANILLA MASCARPONE
3⁄4 cup mascarpone or crème fraîche
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
2 tablespoons cold maple syrup
FOR THE PANCAKE
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups prepared Old-Fashioned Pancake Batter
1 cup quartered strawberries; reserve half for garnish
FOR THE GARNISH
Powdered sugar
Strawberry jam, optional
Edible flowers, optional
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To prepare the whipped vanilla mascarpone, use a stand mixture with the whisk attachment to whip the mascarpone, cream, vanilla, and maple syrup together until the mixture holds firm peaks.
To make the pancake, heat a large nonstick ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Pour the butter and batter into the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles start to appear on the surface.
Add the strawberries and transfer to the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
To serve, garnish the pancake with the mascarpone cream, the reserved strawberries, powdered sugar, and strawberry jam and flowers, if using.
Old-Fashioned Pancake Batter
Pancake batter starts with flour (generally all-purpose), a leavener, sugar/sweetener, salt, milk, butter, and egg. Once you have the ratios down you can substitute different milks, sweeteners, and flours.
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS BATTER OR 6 TO 8 PANCAKES
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 1⁄4 to 1 1⁄2 cups milk
2 eggs
1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for cooking pancakes
Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, and vanilla together. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the melted butter. The mixture can be used in recipes and will hold in the refrigerator for 2 days.
KITCHEN NOTE: To make pancakes, preheat a griddle or large nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat and brush with extra butter. Using a 4-ounce ice cream scoop or ladle, scoop the batter onto the griddle and cook until bubbly on top and golden on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 2 more minutes.
