Pancakes | Pas de Deux Blog

Weeks ago, I got an email from VegNews containing a recipe for Vegan Tiramisu Pancakes. I immediately forwarded the email to Lindsey and a few girlfriends, and started planning when I could justify making such a decadent breakfast. I ended up scheduling two brunches, since, unsurprisingly, a lot of my friends were intrigued. The first of the two was last weekend. I can’t wait for round 2, scheduled for Cinco de Mayo!

Brunch. My favorite meal!

Obviously, I have a bit of a brunch obsession. My friend and I went all out. We poured some mimosas, mixed up a colorful fruit salad with pears, clementines, blueberries, and rasperries, and made eggs with some of the vegetables I had on hand. The resulting kale, onion, thyme, and egg scramble was delicious! It was a great, savory dish to balance out the sweet pancakes.

Fruit salad

Now about those pancakes…

I didn’t read the instructions thoroughly, so I overlooked the chill time in the whipped cream instructions. Our coconut cream ended up as more of a syrup replacement than whipped cream. While I recommend following the original instructions, our resulting cream tasted awesome, and added a bit of extra moisture to the pancakes. We made a few other modifications, just based on the ingredients we had. Some of them I will be repeating!

Pancakes and Eggs

Vegan Tiramisu Pancakes

Recipe by Chloe Coscarelli, slightly modified

For the Coconut Whipped Cream

13.5 ounce can full-fat coconut milk, chilled

2/3 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting

For the Pancakes

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground hazelnut coffee*

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon Malibu coconut rum**

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (dairy-free), plus more for garnish

Canola oil, for greasing

*Original recipe: instant espresso powder

**Original recipe: dark rum

For the whipped cream, chill the bowl and whisk of a hand mixer in freezer for 10 minutes. Skim the solidified cream from the can of coconut milk, and transfer solids to the bowl. Do not include the coconut water. Add powdered sugar and whip until cream begins to stiffen. Chill whipped cream in an airtight container for 3 hours to 1 day before serving.

For the pancakes, whisk flour, baking powder, coffee/espresso, and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk water, maple syrup, and rum. Add the wet mixture into the dry and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.

Lightly oil a large, nonstick skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto skillet, and cook until bubbles appear in center. Flip with a spatula, and cook other side for about 1 minute, until golden-brown. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil when needed. If batter becomes too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water.

To serve, top pancakes with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar and chocolate chips.

So much to love

We ended up with a lot of leftover coconut cream. I threw some of it into the blender with fruit the next day for a tasty dessert smoothie. Yum!

While I’m not a vegan, I enjoy vegan recipes. I generally avoid dairy products, so vegan baking is usually safer for me. After making (and devouring) these pancakes, I can’t wait to pick up a copy of Chloe’s book, Chloe’s Vegan Desserts!

What are your favorite brunch recipes?

My new favorites

Happy eating!

-C

Brinner

Without a doubt, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Breakfast, Brunch, Brinner… I’ll eat breakfast food any time of day!

Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Garlic

I’ve been wanting to make buckwheat pancakes, but couldn’t find buckwheat flour at the store. I decided to experiment with almond meal instead! They didn’t hold their shape well, but they tasted delicious. I whipped up a simple raspberry compote to serve on top, and made scrambled eggs with spinach and garlic to have on the side.

Pancakes, Eggs, and Compote

Almond Meal Pancakes

Serves 1

1/2 cup almond meal**

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 banana, mashed

1/2 cup soy or nut milk

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Raspberry compote, recipe below

Stir together almond meal and baking powder in a large bowl. Add banana and milk, and beat until smooth.

Melt coconut oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Pour batter into rounds, 1/3 cup at a time. Flip the pancake when the batter starts to bubble. Cook until both sides are golden brown. Serve with raspberry compote.

**Almond meal can be replaced with buckwheat flour.

Almond Meal Pancakes

Raspberry Compote

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup fresh raspberries

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and lemon juice. Cook until sugar dissolves. Add berries and cook, tossing gently, until berries are warm and juices release, 2-3 minutes. Serve warm.

Raspberry Compote

I enjoyed this for a Tuesday evening Brinner (breakfast for dinner), before heading out to see the lighting of the Bay Bridge. It was a great, simple meal before a fun night out in the city! Such fun!