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Fluffy Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup

Source of Recipe

From "The Secret Ingredient Cookbook" by Kelly Senyei


Recipe Introduction

"Champagne and breakfast go hand in hand, so why not give yourself two reasons to pop open a bottle of bubbly? Pour yourself a mimosa, then add a splash of Champagne to your pancake batter to ensure your flapjacks are fluffy and cloud-like in texture. The bubbles aerate the batter, which in turn puffs up the pancakes and lightens their consistency. Warm maple syrup would be a welcome accompaniment, but Champagne and strawberries — especially in syrup form — is a hard combination to beat."

List of Ingredients

For the syrup:
â—¦ 6 cups sliced strawberries
â—¦ â…” cup sugar
â—¦ ¼ cup honey
â—¦ 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
â—¦ ¼ cup fresh orange juice

For the pancakes:
â—¦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon baking soda
â—¦ 1 tablespoon sugar
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 1 cup Champagne
â—¦ 1 cup milk
â—¦ 1 large egg
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
â—¦ Cooking spray or additional unsalted butter, for greasing the pan


Recipe

Make the syrup:
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the strawberries, sugar, honey, orange zest, and orange juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the strawberries have broken down and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat and set aside to cool while you make the pancakes. (The syrup will thicken considerably as it cools.)

Make the pancakes:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the Champagne, milk, egg, and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined but still lumpy.

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat, then grease it with cooking spray or butter. Add ¼-cup portions of the batter to the skillet to form pancakes. Once bubbles form all over the surface of each pancake, flip them once and continue cooking until they are cooked through, about 4 minutes in total. Repeat with the remaining batter. Transfer the pancakes to a plate and top with the strawberry syrup.

Makes 4 servings