Oh hello again. Did someone say summer food rut? (Even Deb is with me!) Somehow, I am both disgusted by this weather and drawn to the outside all. The. Time. It seems like the only time you can tether me to the stove is to preserve gorgeous summer fruits (usually at midnight, I might add). I’m not even whipping up the brilliant summer salads or amazing sandwiches I hoped for.
But it’s time again for the Vintage Recipe Swap, so cook (and photograph) I must. This month’s recipe involves an ingredient I have no experience with – sorghum. Listed as “sorghum molasses” in the ingredients, a bit of searching (and food pickling) informed me that it’s known as sorghum syrup nowadays. While I love discovering new ingredients, tracking it down in time became tricky. Part of that came from a weekend trip to Boston with my friend in food M. At Sunday brunch at The Friendly Toast, a cute (but packed) diner in Cambridge, we ordered the Hansel & Gretel, a gingerbread waffle with pomegranate molasses & whipped cream. Unfortunately, our waffle came out without the dark, sexy syrup. While brunch had a happy ending, I dreamt of that flavor combination for days, yearning for a slightly more summer-y base. Lose the dark spices, keep the ginger.
pancakes are so easy-peasy
Pomegranate molasses, usually found in middle eastern markets near the orange blossom & rose waters, is an absolute secret weapon in the kitchen. Want that brilliant summer salad? Add a touch of molasses in your dressing. Wonderfully caramelized lamb chops? Rub the chops with a little of the molasses right before cooking. A drizzle over chevre makes a fascinating starter for the taste buds. Basically, if there was a church of pomegranate molasses, I’d be a preacher. So why had I not consumed it drizzled on top of pancakes before? All of a sudden, that sounds so much tastier that maple syrup!
your bottle will probably look like it has been through battle after a few months
A fluffy but hearty white-whole wheat buttermilk pancake makes a lovely base for the ginger, and honey-sweetened greek yogurt and fresh peaches top the stack off nicely. The spice of the pancake plays so well with the sumptuous pomegranate molasses, all tart and sticky. It’s fresh, rich, bright, filling, just sweet enough to feel decadent, like breakfast for dinner should feel. Yet, these pancakes don’t leave you with the nappy time feeling so many recipes do. PS, if you own a waffle iron, I HIGHLY recommend giving this flavor combination a spin with waffles.
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Recipe Swappers! Our rotating crew is immensely talented and diverse, as you’ll see in the interpretations of this humble recipe by: Dennis, Toni, Shumaila, Alex, Lora, Lindsay, Mari, Crissy and Lauren, Pola, Jamie, Claire,Shari, Joy, Monique, Linda, Priya, Rachel, Alli, Katy, Krissy, Jacqueline and Jaclyn.Visit the swap page for everyone’s bios and please visit all of our blogs to let us all know what you think of our inventions!
Fresh Ginger Pancakes
A few notes: clabbered milk is simply milk with a splash of vinegar added, so that it curdles (sours). It behaves like buttermilk and is what I use most often. The amount of ginger depends on how intense you would like it. Two tablespoons had a perfect punchy kick to it, but if you prefer mild, go with one.
9-10 pancakes
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup clabbered milk or buttermilk
- 1-2 tbsp ginger, grated
- 1 egg, divided
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
directions
- In medium bowl, add the first 6 ingredients, the dry goods. Whisk to aerate and combine.
- In a 2C glass measuring cup, place the milk, vinegar (if necessary for souring) and ginger. Let sit for a minute or two.
- Crack the egg into a small bowl. Place the whites into the milk mixture and whisk thoroughly. Whisk in the melted butter into the egg yolk. Pour the yolk mixture into the milk mixture and whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until it just comes together. [A little lumpiness is a-ok!]
- Meanwhile, heat a skillet or griddle to medium-high heat. If you have a cast-iron skillet, now's the time to use it! When water droplets sizzle at first touch, it's warm enough.
- Butter the pan's surface generously and pour in 1/4 cup of batter at a time. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. [In a 12" skillet, I easily cooked three pancakes at a time.]
- Once air bubbles have formed across the surface of the pancake [about 3 minutes], it's flipping time. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes.
Honeyed Greek Yogurt
Place a large spoonful of your favorite plain greek yogurt in a small bowl. Drizzle in a little honey, mix and taste. If it’s to your sweetness liking, you’re set. If not, add a bit more, mix and taste until it’s sweet enough.
On a plate, pile up warm pancakes. Optionally add a dab of butter between the cakes. Carefully drizzle a little pomegranate molasses on the pancakes [too much can be tartness overload]. Add a healthy dollop of honeyed yogurt, a few small pieces of chopped ginger [if you'd like] and peach slices or other fruit of choice. Enjoy!
sounds fantastic. creative take on the recipe! I love Greek yogurt with honey!
yum, yum. and done in the true spirit of invention. Adding a jot of cider vinegar to milk works wonderfully. Check out my post last week about making ricotta in 10 minutes. It simply milk, buttermilk and cream, heated to 185, where it then separates into curds and whey. And the dogs loved the whey.
Ah I love homemade ricotta. You can also use the whey to cook rice or grains, put in soup, or anywhere you might use water.
Thanks, Alex! Your vegan molasses cookies looked great too.
i love your take on this month’s swap! who doesn’t like pancakes? i’ve always wanted to try pomegranate molasses but i always forget to look for it at the store…i’ll have to pick some up now!
What a great take on the recipe! Have never tried pomegranate molasses. I wish my husband liked pancakes, would have definitely tried this out!
By the way do stop by my giveaway:
http://thenovicehousewife.wordpress.com/2011/07/29/celebrating-first-blogiversary-with-tartlets-a-giveaway/
Ginger cookies with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses would be wonderful. Or crepes. Or anything. Let me know what you do with it if you get yourself some pom molasses.
great idea with the pomegranate molasses – I’ve used it in scones, but love the other ideas you mentioned. Great recipe swap from cookies to pancakes!