These are the perfect breakfast pancakes, with a real caffeine kick to wake you up in the morning. The coffee syrup is made with cocoa nibs which are fermented, dried and roasted cocoa pods. Cocoa nibs are both delicious and good for you as they don’t contain sugar but still have an amazing chocolatey taste!
Pancake batter
160 g/scant 11⁄4 cups self-
raising/rising fl our, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, separated
1 tablespoon caster/granulated sugar
pinch of salt
250 ml/1 cup plus 1 tablespoon
iced milk coffee
3 tablespoons melted butter,
plus extra for frying
150 g/1 cup mascarpone cheese 150 ml/2⁄3 cup crème fraîche
icing/confectioners’ sugar, to
taste (optional)
cocoa powder, to dust
Coffee Syrup
100ml/1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon espresso coffee
60ml/1⁄4 cup coffee liqueur
100 g/1⁄2 cup caster/granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cocoa nibs or coffee beans
Begin by making the coffee syrup. Put all of the syrup ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes until thick and gloopy. Set aside to allow the flavours to infuse and the syrup to cool.
To make the pancake batter, put the flour, baking powder, egg yolk, caster/granulated sugar, salt and iced coffee in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the melted butter and whisk again. The batter should have a smooth, dropping consistency.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whisked egg white into the batter mixture using a spatula. Cover and put in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.
When you're ready, remove your batter mixture from the refrigerator and stir once. Put a little butter in a large frying pan/skillet set over a medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and coat the base of the pan, then ladle small amounts of the batter into the pan, leaving a little space between each. Cook until the batter is just set, then turn over and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Once cooked, keep the pancakes warm while you cook the remaining batter, adding a little butter to the pan each time, if required.
When you are ready to serve, place the mascarpone cheese and crème fraîche in a bowl, adding a little icing/confectioners’ sugar to sweeten if you wish, and whisk together well.
Serve the pancakes in a stack with a dollop of the mascarpone cream on top and a drizzle of the syrup. Dust with a little cocoa powder and enjoy!
This recipe is from Modern Pancakes. Get more great blog posts like this one – direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.