Making pancakes is so easy! Here is a quick 2 minute video showing you how to make perfect whole wheat pancakes.
When I think of pancakes, the first thing that comes to mind is a dab of butter melting on top of the warm stack then swimming in a river of natural maple syrup. Or, I think of garden strawberries :: fragole and mountain blueberries dropped on a pillow of fresh whipped cream. Either way, I associate pancakes with sweet flavors.
Yet, pancakes are so versatile and one of the best ways to enjoy them are with savory flavors or a blend of sweet and savory, like this recipe. I’ve paired the arugula :: rucola which is quite bitter with the sweetness of the pear. I’ve thrown in some walnuts to give the dish a nice contrast between soft and crunchy. And, I’ve topped everything off with a creamy gorgonzola and crème fraîche dressing to simulate maple syrup. Drooling yet?
I’ve used this whole pancake recipe that is already on the site because after experimenting a lot with different recipes this is one that works great for me. Read that post for more tips and tricks, and always remember this important fact: flours absorb liquid differently. I’ve had my Italian friends ask me why certain pancake recipes that they had found on the internet didn’t work for them and my guess is that they didn’t adjust the liquid correctly. The indications below are subjective. You may need to add a bit more liquid to your mixture :: miscela or it may be the right quantity. The key for success is that the batter must easily drip off your spoon. This tip is obviously for thin pancakes, which is recommended for my whole wheat recipe; otherwise, you risk that the pancake will be too tough.
For the creamy gorgonzola and crème fraîche topping you can use a blend like I did, because I had both on hand; otherwise, feel free to use one or the other.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Have a wonderful weekend!
Pancakes with Arugula, Gorgonzola, Pear and Walnuts
You’re weekend brunch recipe has arrived: Pancakes with Arugula, Gorgonzola, Pears and Walnuts.
Serves: 3-9
Ingredients
For the whole wheat pancakes:
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar or lemon juice)
1 cup (125g) whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
2 teaspoons (8g) sugar
1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
½ teaspoon (3g) salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
Butter, as needed
For the topping:
3.5 oz (100g) gorgonzola
3.5 oz (100g) crème fraîche
1 pear, peeled, cored and diced
2 handfuls arugula, washed and dried
4 walnuts, shelled and chopped
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Balsamic vinegar, as needed
Instructions
For the whole wheat pancakes:
In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
Add the the melted butter and egg to the milk and vinegar mixture and mix well. Combine the two mixtures and stir until just combined, lumps are fine. For a thin pancake, the batter should run off the spoon. If the batter is too thick add a splash of milk or water. I recommend thin pancakes because thick ones may turn out tough when using all whole wheat flour.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a small knob of butter rotating the skillet so that it covers the bottom. Using a ¼ cup (59ml) measuring cup or ice cream scoop, measure out the batter and pour it in the skillet. Depending on your pan size, you’ll be able to fit 2-3 pancakes at a time.When lots of bubbles form on the top use a spatula to peek underneath. If the bottom is golden brown flip the pancake. Do not press down on the pancake with the spatula. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the bottom is golden brown.
Add another small knob of butter and repeat these steps until you have cooked all nine pancakes.
For the topping:
With an immersion hand blender, blend the gorgonzola and crème fraîche together.
In a small bowl, dress the arugula with a splash of extra virgin olive oil.
Put one or more pancakes on a plate, top with the arugula followed by the gorgonzola mixture, pears and walnuts. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Buon appetito!
Notes
If you don't have crème fraîche you can just use gorgonzola. The servings 3-9 depends if you serve 3 pancakes per person or only 1 per person.
If there is one thing you must know when you travel throughout Italy, it’s this: you don’t eat “Italian food”, you eat “regional Italian food”. Of course in big cities, you’ll find slightly more variety, but if you head to the Italian countryside, expect to find traditional recipes that are specific to that region, and even sometimes specific to that town. In Italy you can easily find different “traditional regional recipes” made within a 5km radius, or sometimes they even have completely different names for the same dish. There are 20 regions in Italy, but today we will be talking about Emilia-Romagna, the so-called “food valley” ::“valle del cibo.”
Never heard of Emilia-Romagna? No worries, neither had I before moving here in 2009. Emilia-Romagna is the region directly north of Tuscany :: Toscana. Although, you may still need to look at the map, you’re probably already quite familiar with some of its most famous products: Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Parma Prosciutto and Balsamic Vinegar from Modena.
Emilia-Romagna isn’t nicknamed “the food valley” for no reason. Beyond the legendary products listed above, there are the celebrated recipes that you may have already tried, and if you haven’t, put them on your list:
Spinach or Pumpkin Tortelli: Homemade pasta stuffed with spinach or pumpkin.
Oh, the list could go on…. The only way to really get a good idea of the food world in Emilia-Romagna is to come to the region and do 3 things:
1. Head to a trattoria, which is an informal restaurant (often family owned) where the prices are cheap and the recipes are traditional, like what you will find cooked in homes nearby.
3. Get your hands in the flour and take some Italian cooking courses :: corsi di cucina.
If you’re not able to catch the next flight for the “bella paese”, use this blog and other online sources to find recipes from Emilia-Romagna that you can make in your own home. The beauty of food is that your taste buds ::le papille gustative can travel without leaving home.
If you are able to make it here someday, and would like to enhance your knowledge on how Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma prosciutto, balsamic vinegarand traditional regional recipes are made, I suggest that you contact Reggio Lingua, a language school in Reggio Emilia that organizes Italian language classes, home stays, unique agriturismo accommodations, cooking classes and cultural activities like visits to cheese and balsamic vinegar factories or city tours.
*This post is not sponsored by Reggio Lingua. I attended their Italian language classes for 3 years and highly recommend their language and cultural services.
Italy is the land of croissants (after France, of course) or “brioche” as they call them in my region, and although they are beyond delicious sometimes a gal just needs a little variety. So, last weekend I attempted to make my first homemade scone, with a twist of course.
I wanted to give this classic English dessert, that is enormously popular also in America, an Italian flair by using Fig Condiment with Balsamic Vinegar from Modena from La Vecchia Dispensa to create a creamy glaze :: glassa to drizzle over these freshly baked peach scones. What I love about La Vecchia Dispensa, a small family run company, is that they are extremely attentive about selecting only the highest quality of raw materials and only work with fresh seasonal produce. Their products also don’t contain colorants, additives or preservatives. Hallelujah!
Oh, how I relish peaches :: pesche and their summer sweet smell, soft fuzzy skin and glorious fresh flavor that bursts in your mouth with every bite. Couple that with brandy’s tangy raison taste and sweet natural fig balsamic vinegar that warmly coats your tongue like when you immerse yourself in a bath after a day out in the snow, enveloping your senses in pure pleasure and relax.
These scones are also healthier than traditional recipes as they are made with whole wheat and kamut flours and there is less butter :: burro. This is my third attempt on this recipe because I wanted to make sure I got it just right, and I have to humbly say, that it is a winner. 🙂 When you bite into one of these golden peach scones with brandy and fig balsamic vinegar glaze you get a taste of Italian summer love.
Peach Scones with Brandy and Fig Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
In a medium sauce pan add the peaches and fig balsamic vinegar condiment. Cook over medium heat until the vinegar has reduced and thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
In the meantime, measure out the soy milk and add the white wine vinegar or lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and cane sugar; mix.
Cut the butter into the bowl and use a pastry cutter to mix together (or a knife if you don’t have one) until the butter is chopped into fine pieces and mixed well with the flour mixture.
Spoon in the peaches, leaving the extra balsamic vinegar in the saucepan. Set the pan aside.
Add the soy milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well with a spatula then knead together for 5-6 times. The dough will be really sticky but don't add more flour.
Put the dough in the middle of the prepared baking sheet and form a circle that is about 1-inch high. With a wet knife, cut 8 slices. Keep wetting the knife as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick. Leave the slices touching each other.
Sprinkle raw cane sugar on top.
Bake for 20 minutes then take them out. Using a knife, separate the slices and space them apart on the baking sheet.
Cook for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely otherwise they will crumble when you try to pick them up.
For the glaze:
Add the powder sugar to the saucepan used to cook the peaches. Add the balsamic vinegar, brandy and water. Stir well. Adjust the taste and consistency by adding more liquid or powdered sugar. Drizzle over the cooled scones and let cool so the glaze slightly hardens, about 10 minutes. Buon appetito!
*You can also use regular balsamic vinegar; I highly recommend using a good one like what you find at the La Vecchia Dispensa because the quality definitely makes a difference.
Note: This post is not paid by La Vecchia Dispensa. They were kind to send me some samples of their products; I only support the companies I believe in and the products I love and would use myself.
You may have used honey, maple syrup or agave nectar to naturally sweetened your baked goods or morning bowl of yogurt, but now I will tell you about apple saba, a natural sweetener:: dolcificante naturale that many of you might never have heard of but what the Romans commonly used over two thousand years ago.
I met a lot of great artisanal producers at the Cibustradeshowa few months back. Among them was La Vecchia Dispensa, a producer of traditional balsamic vinegars and other delicious products likefruit condimentsand organic apple saba,just to name two. So, what is apple saba and how is it used? Apple saba is a thick sweet syrup made from 100% apple must. It is commonly used as a condiment drizzled over fresh cheeses :: formaggi and gelato or to naturally sweeten baked goods or pasta fillings.
In the region of Emilia Romagna, grape saba (which is made with 100% grape must) is commonly made in-house and used to flavor ice and snow— the original and all-natural slushie or snow cone. I remember doing this as a child as well, but our version was less healthy as we would add milk, sugar and food coloring :: colorante per alimenti to the snow. I’m glad to know that a healthier version exists and can’t wait for the snow to fall to try out both grape and apple flavors :: sapori. In the meantime, I couldn’t resist inventing a recipe with this organic apple saba that La Vecchia Dispensa was so kind to send me, and therefore came up with one of my new favorite bruschetta recipes: pear, walnut and burrata bruschetta with organic apple saba.
I’ve already eaten three of these bruschette today. One in the morning for breakfast to test out the recipe then two alongside a side salad for lunch after photographing them. You think I would be satiated? Not even close. As I write this, I secretly am thinking about toasting another slice of sesame Sicilian bread, piling it high with creamy burrata cheese, layering on a few thin pear slices, arranging walnuts :: noci on top so I have a piece in each bite and drizzling the whole delicious masterpiece with organic apple saba. Oh, I’m being tortured as I write this post. Resist, Mrs. Italicana, resist! For now, at least. Tomorrow, I know exactly what I will be having for lunch…and maybe even dinner. 🙂
Note: This post is not paid by La Vecchia Dispensa. I promote companies who products I like and think you will enjoy. La Vecchia Dispensa was kind to give me some samples of their high quality products to use in my recipes.
Pear, Walnut and Burrata Bruschetta with Organic Apple Saba
2 slices rustic Italian bread, toasted (I used a sesame Sicilian bread which was divine)
Instructions
Divide the following ingredients in the order given on top of the two slices of toasted bread: buratta cheese, pear slices and walnuts. Drizzle the apple saba on top and serve alone or alongside a side salad.
Yet, pancakes are so versatile and one of the best ways to enjoy them are with savory flavors or a blend of sweet and savory, like this recipe. I’ve paired the arugula :: rucola which is quite bitter with the sweetness of the pear. I’ve thrown in some walnuts to give the dish a nice contrast between soft and crunchy. And, I’ve topped everything off with a creamy gorgonzola and crème fraîche dressing to simulate maple syrup. Drooling yet?
I’ve used this whole pancake recipe that is already on the site because after experimenting a lot with different recipes this is one that works great for me. Read that post for more tips and tricks, and always remember this important fact: flours absorb liquid differently. I’ve had my Italian friends ask me why certain pancake recipes that they had found on the internet didn’t work for them and my guess is that they didn’t adjust the liquid correctly. The indications below are subjective. You may need to add a bit more liquid to your mixture :: miscela or it may be the right quantity. The key for success is that the batter must easily drip off your spoon. This tip is obviously for thin pancakes, which is recommended for my whole wheat recipe; otherwise, you risk that the pancake will be too tough.
For the creamy gorgonzola and crème fraîche topping you can use a blend like I did, because I had both on hand; otherwise, feel free to use one or the other.
