TWD: Chocolate Pots de Creme

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie was selected by Christine of Black Cat Cooking: chocolate pots de creme.  I'd never had pots de creme, but instinctively I was pretty sure we were dealing with a chocolate pudding-like treat.  Dorie was kind enough to explain the difference - pudding is cooked on the stove top and thickened with cornstarch while pots de creme are baked in the oven with eggs providing the stability.  I also learned that pot de creme not only refers to the dessert, but also a small cup with a lid that is used to make this dessert.  A very educational week indeed :)

 

We have a case of dessert overload here after the weekend, so I scaled way back and made 1/4 of the recipe.  The chocolate pots de creme are made with chocolate, heavy cream, milk, eggs, sugar and salt.  The only ingredient that was slightly tricky to scale was the eggs - the recipe calls for 1 whole egg and 5 yolks, so (on the advice of some Twitter friends) I went with 2 yolks.  You can safely assume since I didn't know about a pot de creme cup, I don't own any, so I used ramekins.  Dorie suggested 4-oz ramekins, but for some reason very few of my ramekins are labeled with their sizes so I always end up pouring in water to figure it out (one of these days I'll get smart and add little labels to the bottoms).  The ramekins I wanted to use measured just under 4 oz and my 1/4 recipe filled 3 of them.



The pots de creme are baked, covered (I used foil rather than the plastic wrap suggested) and in a water bath, at a relatively low temperature (300 F).  For reasons I can't explain, all of the water in my pan evaporated before the end of the cooking period and my ramekins baked more slowly than expected.  They passed the jiggle test so I pulled them eventually, let them cool then refrigerated for a few hours.  The surface was definitely set, but inside the texture was a bit more loose than I envisioned - definitely not as thick as any pudding I've had.  Since I've never had pots de creme I can't say for certain, but I suspect mine were underbaked.  This was one error that worked in my favor though - I don't like pudding, but I really enjoyed these pots de creme.  They reminded me of soft serve chocolate ice cream and that is a VERY good thing in my book!  

 

Thanks to Christine for hosting this week!  She'll share the recipe on her blog today, or you can find it on pages 390-391 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.

A Visit to Flour Bakery, and their Vanilla Cream-Filled Doughnuts

Saturday was my birthday (yay!) and when Shane asked what I wanted to do to celebrate, I decided it might be fun to head up to Boston and visit Flour Bakery!  I'd received the Flour cookbook for Christmas, and it's quickly become one of my favorites.  It only seemed fitting to head to the bakery itself, especially since Boston is only about an hour away.   Flour has three locations - we visited the Central Square location in Cambridge.  We arrived around 9 am on Saturday morning - ready to consume lots of pastry :)



Inside, the bakery was busy but not so crowded we couldn't find somewhere to sit.  The vibe was warm and the service was fast.    



I thought this quote was cute!



We resisted the urge to ask for one of each of the items from the case, but it was tempting...



We wound up choosing three items to share initially.  I stayed away from anything with nuts (neither of us are fans) and limited myself to just one item with fruit since I knew Shane wouldn't help with that one.



First up was the brioche au sucre (top left), which was basically just a brioche roll with a crackly sugar coating on top.  For something so simple, it was great - really tender and rich.  The second item was pain aux raisins (top right), a brioche pastry filled with pastry cream and golden raisins.  It was my favorite of the three.  Lastly, we tried the chocolate brioche, which was another hit.  I could tell they'd chosen a really high quality chocolate to fill the brioche, it was dark and worked well with the rich pastry.

We'd definitely established that we loved the brioche dough, but still wanted to try a few more things.  We were too full to eat anything else though so picked several additional items to bring home with us.  



Craqueline - brioche (apparently we didn't get enough) filled with chopped candied oranges and finished with a crackly almond topping.  I loved the visual appeal of this one, but the oranges in the filling were too bitter for me.



Lemon-Ginger Scone (right) - my other favorite item, alongside the pain aux raisins.  It had the perfect balance of lemon and ginger flavor.

Oatmeal-Maple Scone (left) - I forgot to write down what this one was, but I think it was the oatmeal-maple scone.  It wasn't a favorite but I can't put my finger on exactly what I didn't like about it.



Banana Bread - it's called "Flour's Famous Banana Bread" in the cookbook so I pretty much had to try it, right?  I had to pick around the nuts (and there were quite a few) but I could still tell it was great banana bread - super moist and full of banana flavor.



One thing we didn't try?  The sticky buns that Flour Bakery is so well known for (they were featured on an episode of Bobby Flay's Throwdown and won).  They looked amazing, but there were just too many nuts to make it worthwhile for us to buy.  That said, the beauty of owning the cookbook is that I can make my own nut-free version! :)



As if all that sugar and pastry wasn't enough, I decided to make Flour's vanilla cream-filled doughnuts over the weekend as well :)  They were one of the first recipes I flagged in the book and unfortunately, they're only sold at the bakery on Sunday so we didn't get to try them. 



I've made doughnuts a few times in the past, but this was definitely the most successful of any of my attempts.  The dough comes together quickly in your stand mixer, rests overnight, and couldn't be easier to work with when it comes time to roll/cut the doughnuts.  Once they're cut, the doughnuts proof for a few hours, and turn into fluffy and soft little rounds. 



The frying is always the scariest part for me.  I've had trouble cooking other doughnuts - often the outside is crisp and golden but I bite in to discover the inside is still raw.  No such issues with this recipe, though.  The doughnuts are fried for just 2-3 minutes per side then rolled in sugar, which forms a crisp coating on the outside once the doughnuts cool. 



Before filling them with cream, I decided to try one plain, and was blown away.  These doughnuts are phenomenal!  The crispy outside gives way to a light, tender interior - for a minute I almost forgot I was eating something that was fried.  Because I loved them so much plain I only wound up filling two, and those were good as well, but if you want to save yourself the extra effort you can definitely skip the filling.  The doughnuts were made on the Martha Stewart show recently and you can find the recipe (along with a video that you may find useful) here.  My doughnuts didn't puff quite as nicely as the ones they made on the show but I didn't mind one bit.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't share with you the special birthday cake that Shane baked for me.  In previous years I've often made my own cake, but Shane volunteered this year and I was all too happy to let him take on the task!  Ignore the mess in our kitchen and apologies for the pictures, it was well after dark on Friday before the baking began.



He was very serious about his mise en place - all of the ingredients were out and ready to go before he got started. 



I'll be in big trouble if I don't tell you about the two eggs he cracked simultaneously - each with just one hand.  No worries - the cake was egg shell free!



The instructions said to beat for 3 minutes, so he pulled his iPhone out, set the timer and did exactly as instructed.  And then, when the beating was done he savored the best part of the process - licking the beaters :)



Had to catch those drips off the side of the bowl after filling the cake pans too!



I was rushing to tidy the house the next day since we were having family over for a party and I didn't get any pictures of the frosting process.  I do know it was pretty stressful for Shane - he kept telling me the cake wasn't living up to his vision.  In the end once he had the whole cake frosted, and the decorations piped, I think he was pleased.  I know I was impressed!  Not only did the cake look great, it was delicious!



It was a decadent weekend, but if you can't splurge on your birthday, when can you? :)

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

We've had the best weekend!  I really wanted to tell you about it today but I had too many photos to upload and edit so I'm going to push it off until tomorrow.  (Hint: it involves a party, a visit to a terrific bakery, and consumption of insane amounts of sugar) 



Instead, today I thought I'd share these fresh strawberry cupcakes. I am still yearning for spring, and just as March is about to roll in and I think we *just* might be heading in that direction, we wake up to 2+ inches of snow today. I think it's Mother Nature's way of reminding me to be patient for a few more weeks :)



The cupcakes were a treat for my mom, the ultimate strawberry cupcake fan. It's a pretty regular occurrence that I call my mom and offer to give her whatever I happen to be baking that day. Strawberry cupcakes are the one thing I know she'll never turn down. I've made one or two variations on this idea in the past, but never with a strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream - it's one type of frosting I don't make very often (and have struggled with in the past) so I took this opportunity to practice.



If you've never made Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC), it's basically a really buttery, smooth (but not too sweet) frosting that pipes beautifully on cupcakes. It's made with just 3 ingredients - egg whites, sugar and butter - plus whatever flavoring you choose. The only tricky thing about it is that the addition of the butter often leads to the frosting looking curdled. Continued beating almost always solves the problem. In this recipe, the frosting again may again look curdled after adding the strawberry puree but have faith - it will come together if you let your mixture work its magic. The result is worth it - a silky pink frosting that is definitely among my favorite SMBC flavors to date. If I have any complaint about this recipe it's with the cupcake, not the frosting. Don't get me wrong, the cupcakes taste great, but they bake up with flat tops that spread more than they rise. Obviously, as long as you are covering with frosting it's not a big deal but it's definitely a cupcake pet peeve of mine.



Strawberry Cupcakes
from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes (originally seen on Annie's Eats)

Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg white, at room temperature
1 cup milk, at room temperature
2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries

Frosting
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (8 oz.), rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature

To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the eggs and the egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions alternately with the milk, mixing only until incorporated. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries with a rubber spatula.

Fill each well of the cupcake pans about 3/4-full with the batter.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove the cupcake pans to a wire rack to cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans to the rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting: Puree the strawberries in your food processor until completely smooth.  Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer (or any heatproof bowl)  and set it over a pan of simmering water.  Heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved - you can test with your fingertips, if the mixture feels grainy, it's not ready yet.

Attach the bowl to your stand mixer (or transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer if you used a separate bowl) fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 10 minutes. (The bowl will be cool to the touch.)

Reduce the mixer to medium-low speed and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time.  Let each addition incorporate before adding the next.  (The frosting may look soupy or curdled once you add the butter - just keep beating and it will come together.)  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the strawberry puree to the bowl.  Beat until combined - the mixture will probably look curdled again when you add the strawberries, keep beating!)

Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes (I used a large star tip), and garnish with extra strawberries, if desired.

Yields 34 cupcakes (I made 1/3 of the recipe & got 10)

Homemade Naan

Within the first few months of this blog's existence, I posted a recipe for chicken tikka masala.  It would be more than fair to say we had a few, very basic go-to dinner options back then and rarely strayed outside those lines so I can't even begin to tell you how far out of our comfort zone that dish was.  Shane and I both enjoyed the meal (him more than me), but it wasn't a big enough hit to make it into our dinner rotation.  Three years later, I'd like to think we're a lot more adventurous in the foods we eat and the flavors we enjoy so I'm going to add chicken tikka masala to our menu next week.  I'm really looking forward to trying it again!   



One thing I won't have to worry about when I make dinner that night?  The naan.  I bought the naan at the store last time we had chicken tikka masala and then mentioned in my blog post that I wanted to make it myself next time.  Well, finally, I got around to it :)  Last weekend Jessica posted step-by-step photos for a naan recipe and the results looked so good I didn't even wait a week to get in my kitchen and try it.  Shane helped too - I rolled the dough and seasoned it and he was in charge of the cooking.  It was a really fun project, and we absolutely loved the naan.  Between the two of us we polished off the entire stack of naan in less than a day.  Two things - don't be afraid to season generously - we held back on the first piece and it was on the bland side.  Also, my naan didn't take on much color from baking in the cast iron skillet alone - the char is from cooking over the open flame on our gas stove.  That said, it still tasted great even when it was lighter in color, so you can definitely still make the recipe even if you don't have a gas stove.  



Rather than step you through the process of making the naan, I'm just going to direct you to Jessica's great post.  One quick note about the dough.  Once you pull all of the ingredients together, it'll look something like this:



The recipe instructs you to cover with a damp cloth and let rest for at least two hours before continuing...



I'm honestly not sure what I expected to see when I removed the towel, but I was a bit concerned when the dough looked nearly the same as it had when I started.  I guess after making so much bread I'm used to seeing dough rise when I leave it covered for that long :) 



No need to worry - once you remove the dough and knead it for a few minutes it'll be silky and smooth.     



Homemade Naan
from Tasty Kitchen (via Prerna of Indian Simmer)

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warmed milk (about 100 F) (I used 1%)
1/2 cup yogurt (I used plain non-fat)
herbs/seasonings (to flavor the naan - use what you like)
melted butter (to brush the cooked naan)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Combine the milk and yogurt in a measuring cup. Pour over the dry ingredients and start to mix with a spoon, keeping in mind that you might not need all of the liquid to bring the dough together. I started with 3/4 of the liquid and kept adding until a soft dough came together (I did wind up needing all of the liquid but you may not if your kitchen is less dry than mine).

Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set it aside in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 2-3 minutes. The dough will become silky and smooth. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. You can roll each piece into whatever shape you want, but it should be about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick (you can add more flour if the dough is sticky).  Sprinkle one side of the bread with whatever seasonings or herbs you want, then flip it over and brush the other side with water.

Heat a cast iron skillet (or any heavy-bottomed skillet) over medium to medium-high heat. When it is hot, place the naan wet side down and cover with a lid. The bread will stick at first, don't worry. Let it cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until you see the dough bubbling. Flip and cook the other side - if you have a gas stove, you can do this directly over the open flame of one of your burners. If not, just use your skillet - the result will still be good.

Brush with melted butter before serving - it's definitely better that way!

Makes 8 pieces of naan

Banana Split Brownies

Confession time - I succumbed to the marked-down, slightly-browned bananas when I was at the grocery store recently, despite having a huge resealable bag full of them in my freezer.  You can never have too many bananas, right?  That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.  They've been sitting on our island starting at me all week, begging to be used.  I'm sure I'll make some banana bread eventually, but first I wanted to try something completely different.  I remembered a recipe for banana split brownies I'd seen in the recent issue of Fine Cooking - the chocolate and banana combo sounded like a winner, and the toasted marshmallows on top sealed the deal for me. 



Consider yourself warned - these brownies are uber rich!  I thought they were delicious, but I couldn't even finish one by myself, which is not typically a problem I have :)  The base is a fudgy brownie that starts with browned butter; the batter is made entirely in the saucepan in which the butter is browned, and couldn't be easier.  Banana appears twice in the recipe, first here in the brownie base and later in the ganache.  One mashed banana is incorporated into the brownie batter and keeps the brownies moist as well as lending just a little banana flavor.  One chopped banana is steeped in the cream that is combined with chocolate to make the ganache spread over the top of the brownies.  In the final step, mini marshmallows and almonds are sprinkled over the ganache and popped under the broiler until they are toasted and brown.  I anticipated the brownies being tricky to cut with all of the marshmallows on top, but if you follow the suggestion to use a slightly wet knife you won't have any problems.



No good banana split is complete without at least one scoop of ice cream, but we didn't have any in the house when I made this recipe.  I won't make that mistake again - I think a scoop of vanilla ice cream would have been the perfect accompaniment to my brownie.  The next time you find yourself with bananas on the counter that are starting to look a little brown, I recommend taking a break from banana bread to try these banana split brownies.  You won't be sorry :)  



Banana Split Brownies
from Fine Cooking, February/March 2011

Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup mashed overripe banana (about 1 medium banana)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (3 oz) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2 1/2 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder

Topping
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped ripe banana (about 1 medium)
7 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (55-62% cacao), finely chopped
2 cups mini marshmallows
1/4 cup sliced almonds

To make the brownies: Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides so you can lift the brownies out.  Spray the foil with cooking spray with flour (or butter and flour the foil). 

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it smells nutty and is golden in color, about 4-5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let the butter cool for 5 minutes.  Add the sugar and salt to the pan and whisk to combine.  Whisk in the eggs, banana and vanilla.  Finally, add the flour and cocoa powder and whisk until all ingredients are combined. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.

To make the topping: while the brownies are cooling, bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped banana.  Cover the pan and let steep for 1 hour.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Return the cream (with the banana still in the pan) to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Pour the cream through a strainer into the bowl with the chocolate.  Discard the banana in the strainer.  Let the chocolate/cream mixture stand for 1 minute then stir until smooth.  Pour the ganache over the brownies and spread evenly. 

Preheat your oven's broiler and set a rack about 6 inches from the heating element.  Distribute the marshmallows and almonds over the top of the ganache.  Put the pan under the broiler - watch it very carefully and turn the pan frequently - until the marshmallows are browned.  (I tried to do this with my torch and thought it was much more difficult - marshmallows kept catching on fire!) 

Remove the pan to a wire rack and let cool until the ganache is set, at least 1 1/2 hours.  Lift the brownies from the pan using the foil handles.  Cut the brownies using a wet knife, which will keep the marshmallows from sticking. 

Pork Medallions with Cherry Sauce

A little over a year ago, the hard drive on my beloved MacBook died and since I hadn't been smart enough to ever back it up, I lost everything.  You might think I would have learned my lesson from that incident, but you'd be wrong :)  I upgraded to a Macbook Pro last summer, but still haven't come up with a plan to back up my data.  (I know, I know, not wise...)  The one exception relates to my photos.  Like most food bloggers, I take a ton of pictures and I don't mess around there.  The minute the photos are transferred from my camera to my computer I upload them to my Flickr account.  There's peace of mind in knowing my pictures are safe and sound regardless of what happens to my computer.        



The only problem with uploading so many photos to Flickr is that if I don't organize them carefully, things can quickly get buried back on page 10 or 20 (or worse, I think I have 345 pages of photos at this point) and occasionally, that leads to me forgetting about them.  Such was the case with these pork medallions, which is a real shame as they're great!  As I was cleaning out my photos this week, I found this dish (along with some notes I'd taken) and resolved to post it soon.  I made this recipe for the first time last summer when I wasn't blogging much so that also contributed to its delayed appearance on the site.  



You'll definitely want to add this dish to your list of quick go-to weeknight meals.  From start to finish, these pork medallions can be on your table in 20 minutes or less - you can't beat that!  Even better, they're delicious and good for you.  The recipe comes from Ellie Krieger, and while I don't always enjoy her lighter take on things, this one is a hit.  I think pork lends itself to being paired with fruit, and the tart cherries are a perfect choice here because they also work in harmony with the slightly sweet balsamic vinegar in the sauce.  I'm not a big fan of pork chops (they always taste dry to me) but the pork medallions cook so quickly that they're usually quite juicy.  I'm so glad to have re-discovered this recipe because not only could I share it with you, but it can also go back into our dinner rotation :)

Pork Medallions with Cherry Sauce
from Ellie Krieger (via FoodNetwork.com)

1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, sliced into 1/2-inch thick medallions
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup dried tart cherries

Season the pork medallions on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.  Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat.  When the pan is hot, add the meat and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side.  (We like our pork just slightly pink in the center, so cook a bit longer if you prefer yours well done.)  Transfer the pork to a plate and tent with foil.

Pour the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the pan.  Add the shallots and saute until they begin to soften, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the cherries and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.  Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper, then pour over the pork medallions.

TWD: Toasted Almond Scones

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie was selected by Mike of Living Out West: toasted almond scones.  I actually "met" Mike when he won a giveaway I hosted on my blog some time ago, and we've been virtual buddies since - chatting on Twitter about all things baking-related and sharing camera advice via email.  I was excited to see his turn finally come around!



These scones are full of almond goodness - almond flour, finely chopped almond pieces, almond extract, and sliced almonds on top for garnish.  I actually baked the full recipe for a change this week and sent them off to work with Shane's dad, though I did cut the dough into 8 scones rather than the 12 Dorie suggests.  I brushed the scones with heavy cream and sprinkled with turbinado sugar (as well as the sliced almonds) before baking.  The only other change I made was to up the sugar to 3 tablespoons (from 2) as some TWD'ers mentioned the scones weren't very sweet.  Full disclosure - I only ate a small piece of one of the corners that broke off a scone before giving these to Shane's dad.  I was a fan - good almond flavor and a crumbly texture.  I'd probably add even more sugar next time but I like everything sweet as can be so no shock there.  Many thanks to Mike for hosting this week!  He'll share the recipe for the scones on his blog today or you can find it on pages 28-29 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.

 

Can we talk about one more thing today completely unrelated to scones?  Shane and I are contemplating a trip to Vegas, and while I've already received great tips from one TWD friend (thanks Jessica!) I figured it couldn't hurt to ask for input from all of you too.  We're not gamblers and we've never been to Vegas so the plan is probably just to walk the strip, maybe see a show or two, hang out by the pool and most definitely check out some of the great restaurants.  I'd love to hear your best Vegas advice - recommendations for must-see sights, shows, restaurants, etc would be much appreciated.  Thanks :)

Cake Batter Pancakes

Did you know there are food holidays for just about every day of the year? There are also food weeks and food months - it's sort of crazy, but definitely the kind of crazy that this food blogger can get behind. Of course, the problem is that I almost never know about a particular food holiday until it's too late to cook or bake anything to celebrate.



Not this time though! Over the weekend I was hanging out on Twitter and saw several tweets from Rachael that alerted me to the food event for this fourth week of February - it's National Pancake Week! I'm not dedicated enough to bake pancakes every day this week, but it just so happened that I'd made pancakes for dinner on Friday. Though I hadn't originally planned to post them so quickly, it only made sense to share these pancakes today in celebration of the beginning of Pancake Week. Besides, these pancakes were really tasty, so I'm glad I'm telling you about them sooner rather than later.



I love batter in any form - cake, cookie, brownie....the list goes on and on. Yellow cake batter though? That's definitely my favorite of all of them. So, when Jessica of How Sweet It Is shared these cake batter pancakes last month I knew it was only a matter of time before I tried them. The recipe is simple, and because these pancakes are so much fun, I think they'd be a great weekend project with kids. Like Jessica, I used rainbow sprinkles in my batter (very reminiscent of Funfetti cake) but it occurred to me afterward that chocolate sprinkles would have been a good option too. The pancakes are light and fluffy in texture, and in case you're worried, they're not as sweet as you might expect. The cake batter flavor is mild so these didn't scream dessert to me. I just loved the whimsical nature of the recipe, definitely a repeat!



Cake Batter Pancakes
from How Sweet It Is

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 cups milk
sprinkles

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt together. Combine 1 cup of the milk, the eggs and vanilla extract in a measuring cup. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Depending on the brand of cake mix you use, you may need additional milk to achieve the proper consistency for your batter. I added about an extra tablespoon or two of milk to my batter; it was still fairly thick, but easily pourable. Fold sprinkles into the batter - how many you use is entirely up to you!

Preheat a skillet set over medium heat. I used a nonstick skillet and sprayed it lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to portion the batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes on the first side until bubbles form on the top, about 3-4 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook on the second side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter. You can keep the pancakes warm in a 200 F oven until you've cooked all of them, if desired.

(I served my pancakes with maple syrup, but Jessica made a glaze for hers - you can find that recipe over on her site.)

Makes about 12 pancakes