Buttermilk pancakes with strawberry and vanilla compote
These American-style pancakes use buttermilk to give them a slightly tangy flavour and wonderful lightness. If you don’t have buttermilk, reduce the quantity by 1 tablespoon and use regular milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar added. The compote can also be served with vanilla ice cream.
SERVES 4 (makes 12 pancakes)
PREPARATION TIME 20 minutes
COOKING TIME 55 minutes–1 hour 10 minutes
225 g (8 oz/1½ cups) self-raising flour
150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
55 g (2 oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly whisked
80 g (2¾ oz) butter, melted and cooled, plus melted butter, extra, to grease
Icing (confectioners’) sugar, to dust
STRAWBERRY AND VANILLA COMPOTE
55 g (2 oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) strawberries, hulled and halved
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped
1 To make the strawberry and vanilla compote, combine the sugar with 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) water in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the strawberries and vanilla seeds and cook for 5 minutes or until the strawberries start to soften but aren’t falling apart (pic 1). Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
2 Preheat the oven to 120°C (235°F/Gas ½). Sift the self-raising and plain flours together into a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Use a balloon whisk to whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and butter. Add to the flour mixture and stir with the whisk until a smooth batter forms.
3 Heat a 21 cm (8¼ inch) non-stick frying pan or crepe pan over medium heat. Brush with a little melted butter to lightly grease. Add 80 ml (2½ fl oz/ 1/3 cup) of the batter (pic 2) and cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface and the pancake is lightly golden underneath (pic 3). Use a spatula to turn the pancake over and cook for a further 2 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. Transfer to a heatproof plate, cover loosely with foil and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 11 more pancakes, transferring them to the oven to keep warm as you go. (You may need to stir a little extra buttermilk into the batter towards the end of cooking, as it will thicken slightly on standing.)
4 Serve the warm pancakes topped with the strawberry and vanilla compote and dusted with icing sugar.