Apple, Red Currant, Ginger & Yogurt Pancakes
Sunday Morning- and it had been a long time since I had made one of my "let's see what we can make with ONE egg" breakfasts... so here we go... let me present to you this most scrumptious, fluffy and juicy, apple and red current pancake!
Actually- the batter was enough for TWO pancakes as you can see- one saucer-sized, jumbo pancake one and a little individual extra that I made in my teensy-tiny little frying pan, just for the sake of the photo... but also as a little treat, whilst my actual breakfast was in the oven!
Of course this is nothing particularly new and exciting- but it is just making the most of the fruits that the market had to offer- and that is a good thing at the best of times... so here we go!
The first thing I did was to separate my egg- yolk into one bowl and white into another. It seems like an unnecessarily small amount maybe- but you know- the bottom line is that I simply know this is enough for one person. Although I enjoy food and even tend towards a little extra indulgence now and again, I really have a problem with over-indulging too often, using too much fat and sugar in food when you can do without- and not stopping and thinking... and TASTING what you are doing when you cook and eat.
If food tastes sweet enough for your liking with less sugar than the recipe says- reduce it! If it tastes good with less fat or healthier fat- then do that too! Generally speaking, we all could do with a little more moderation. And if we are honest we all could manage it and it would do us good. End of rant. And on with some yumminess!
Ok- so obviously the egg white I whisked until it formed stiff peaks, adding as always a little tiny pinch of salt and sugar to taste. To the yolk I added 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt, 3 tablespoons of flour, a half teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of sugar. That doesn't seem like much in the way of liquids... but that is because the next thing I added was 2 small apples which I grated coarsely, so they would have a little bit of bite to them... and of course, the grated apple would also have plenty of moisture. These apples were tiny country apples- the kind we used to steal from our neighbors gardens as kids ;-), but you can always use just a normal, regular sized apple of course.
I added cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg and then whisked everything together- and it soon transformed itself, as if by magic into a batter- and even more so after adding in the egg white! I folded it in gently but thoroughly and was pretty amazed at the volume! This would easily have been enough to make 4 regular pancakes from! And then came the currants of course- a generous 2 handfuls, also stirred in thoroughly and then the batter was ready to go!
Obviously, the size and shape of the pancakes you make is completely up to you- but I like to make mine using as little fat or butter as possible- so I add just a past of butter to my pan, pour the pancake on top of it and let it set for 2-3 minutes on the stove top, with a gentle shake now and again to keep it from sticking. Then a further 2-3 minutes in the oven under the broiler, which also lets the batter puff-up nicely, the currants pop and ooze all of their yummy and tangy juices, and everything comes together wonderfully!
I added a touch of honey to mine, just for the flavor, but also a blob of fresh yogurt would have been nice too! And yes of course you can say, "ah, what the hey!" and add loads of maple syrup, honey, butter, cream... or whatever... but not I! This was my breakfast and I enjoyed it this way very much- you never know- maybe you will too?!?
Want to be more decadent? Add more berries like I did in this final photo. Sure they are tangy and a little sour... guess what? That's nature for you! Along with the sweetened batter it is a GOOD thing! We sicilians like sour and bitter food too- it is healthy and adds complexity and variety to your palate... these are good things! And let's face it- that sweet stuff? There is toooo much of it- and eating little less can make a lot more sense!
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