Yield: 8 pancakes

I’m not a beer drinker, so a partial bottle of Heineken Lite leftover from last night’s beer-battered dill pickle slices was “burning a hole” in our fridge. It crossed my mind while making that batter that I bet the beer would make excellent pancakes. I love the way it fizzes and bubbles.

When I woke up this morning quite late and starved–I couldn’t sleep last night for several hours but finally nodded off at around 5 or so–I remembered the beer and decided to give it a try. Thinking of ginger beer, I decided to add some ground ginger to the batter and delicious “Ginger-Ale” pancakes were born.

Ginger and peaches seem made for each other, but peaches are not yet in season here. However, I did have some peach butter, a gift from my sister-in-law, Tina. So, I spread it between the pancakes and drizzled plain maple syrup over the top. Feeling that they needed just a little color, I crowned them with a small dollop of vegan sour cream and a fresh mint sprig from our garden. I loved the end result, especially for the cooler months. Come summer, I will definitely serve my new “Ginger-Ale” pancakes with diced fresh peaches.

Yield: 6 pancakes

These sunny pancakes were inspired by a favorite childhood breakfast treat: those Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with orange frosting.

My plan was to make cinnamon-orange pancakes, which I did, with an orange powdered sugar glaze, which I didn’t. It turns out that I was out of powdered sugar (almost unheard of in our house). So, instead I made something that is quite possibly better: orange-maple syrup with an orange-brown sugar-butter pecan topknot (which I inadvertently almost concealed with those enormous pecan halves).

Garnished with an orange slice and pecan halves, I’d say these pancakes were about perfect. Hope you agree.

½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup self-rising cornmeal mix
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite)
1 generous teaspoon orange zest
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Orange-Maple Syrup (recipe follows)
Vegan Orange-Brown Sugar-Pecan Butterball Topknot (recipe follows)
Garnish: orange slices and pecan halves

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 6 dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soymilk and orange zest. Whisk together until well combined. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear around the edges, and the edges appear set. (These tend to bubble only on the edges.) Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil and pancake batter. Serve topped with Vegan Orange-Maple Syrup, Vegan Orange-Brown Sugar-Butter Pecan Topknots and a garnish of orange slices and pecan halves.

Vegan Orange-Maple Syrup

4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 generous teaspoons orange zest

Mix together and heat for a few seconds in the microwave. Recipe halves or doubles easily.

Vegan Orange-Brown Sugar-Butter Pecan Topknot

4 tablespoons softened vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons broken or chopped pecan pieces
2 teaspoons orange zest

Mix together with fingers until well combined. Refrigerate until serving time. I like to use a small scoop to make a true butterball as the topknot.

Yield: 8 pancakes

The dessert for our lite Greek dinner mentioned in the previous several posts was a very simple mixture of local fresh strawberry halves combined with spearmint chiffonade from our garden and drizzled with a little balsamic reduction. It may sound odd, but it was divine. I had some of the mixture sans balsamic reduction left over and I woke up this morning with, for some reason, those beautiful berries as a topping for cornmeal pancakes on my mind. And they had to be cornmeal, not just any pancakes. As I devoured a tall stack of 4 of them, I knew my instincts about combining the cornmeal with the strawberry-mint mixture had been spot-on. I do love summer!

Yield: 8 pancakes

I’m not sure from whence inspiration comes, but yesterday I suddenly thought that if I didn’t make pina colada pancakes this morning, I would simply burst. So, at 10:30 last night, after dropping my husband off at home following a dinner out, I drove to the grocery store to pick up a few ingredients.

The dried pineapple is perfect in these cakes because it doesn’t add unwanted moisture, but it does add the most delightful nuggets of pleasant chewiness. (Don’t confuse dried pineapple with the candied stuff that is probably alone responsible for the widespread aversion to fruitcake.) I thought of soaking the pineapple in rum, but I really like the toothsomeness of the dried pieces. However, feel free to soak away.

We’re not big rum drinkers (accept in the occasional mojito), so we don’t have it around our house, but if you do, by all means consider substituting it for rum flavoring. Just be careful when you heat the syrup that you don’t accidentally flambe yourself.

½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup self-rising flour
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite; I chose soymilk over coconut milk because of the former’s thicker body)
1 1/2 teaspoons rum extract
1 cup flaked coconut (fresh or packaged–sweetened or unsweetened)
1 cup fairly finely diced dried pineapple (not the candied kind used in fruitcakes)
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Coconut Cream-Maple Rum Syrup (recipe follows)
Optional Garnish: approximately 4 tablespoons of additional flaked coconut (fresh or packaged, sweetened or unsweetened, raw or toasted) and 1/2 maraschino cherry per serving

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 5 ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soymilk and rum extract. Stir together with a fork until well combined. Stir in coconut and dried pineapple. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook a couple of minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter and pancake batter. Serve warm with Vegan Coconut Cream-Maple Rum Syrup, a sprinkling of coconut and a half maraschino cherry on a pick.

Vegan Coconut Cream-Maple Rum Syrup:

4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
4 tablespoons Cream of Coconut (it’s vegan!)
1/2 teaspoon rum extract or to taste

Whisk together and heat gently; about 30 seconds in the microwave will do the trick. Note: you can make as much syrup as you like; just whisk together equal parts of the maple syrup and Cream of Coconut and adjust Cream of Coconut to taste.

Yield: 8 pancakes

So, I’m still on Spring Break, and woke up to a cool, rainy day that seemed like perfect pancake weather, but then I don’t need much encouragement. It’s a good thing that I had time to experiment this morning, as this recipe took two tries. The first was a disaster.

Thinking that brandy and a little orange juice concentrate sounded good with coffee, I added both to my go-to pancake batter, along with the instant coffee. Because of the coffee’s slight bitterness, I added more sugar than usual. Though the batter tasted very good, when I began cooking the pancakes, they burned almost instantly and the texture was sort of spongy and flaccid. My conclusion was that the sugar content was way too high.

So, I tried again for lunch and this time I loved the result. I omitted the brandy and the O.J. and did not increase the sugar. I’m not sure what I was thinking previously, as these are perfect just the way they are. Enjoy!

1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons instant espresso or coffee (I used instant decaf coffee)
generous pinch ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite)
Vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Mocha-Maple Syrup (recipe follows)
Garnish: per serving, a dollop of plain or vanilla soy yogurt and a light dusting of cinnamon

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 7 ingredients. Make a well in the center and add soymilk. Stir together with a fork or whisk until well combined. Melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, the oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook a couple of minutes on the first side until you see a few bubbles, get a nice rise and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. (While pancakes cook, make syrup.) When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm in the preheated oven, and repeat with remaining butter and/or oil and pancake batter. Serve warm with syrup and garnish.

Vegan Mocha-Maple Syrup

1/4 cup prepared coffee
1/4 cup maple syrup or brown sugar + a dash of maple extract
generous 1/4 cup bittersweet vegan chocolate chips (I find that organic chocolate is typically vegan)
1 tablespoon of plain soy creamer

In a small cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat first 3 ingredients together, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and chocolate melts. Simmer for a few minutes until the mixture reduces just slightly. Stir in soy creamer until completely incorporated. Keep syrup warm until serving time.

I’m home on Spring Break this week with time to make weekend morning fare mid-week. I know these pancakes (dubbed “Brandycakes” by my husband) sound more fitting for autumn, but they were completely satisfying, even though we’re having 80 to 90-degree days.

When I was trying to imagine what would be compatible with the figs besides the dried spices, yet provide an unexpected twist, the brandy occurred to me first–I always have to sneak some of the “good stuff” for cooking when my husband is out of the house–but that didn’t seem quite layered enough. And then it hit me: fresh rosemary.

I think you’ll agree that this combination would be hard to beat in any season.

Yield: 8 pancakes

8 dried Mission figs, quartered and then finely chopped
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 cup self-rising flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground mace or cloves
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup plain soy yogurt
1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite) + another tablespoon or two if needed
1/4 cup brandy
Vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Maple-Brandy-Rosemary-Pecan Syrup (recipe follows)
Garnish: per serving, 1 dried Mission fig, sliced lengthwise in half, and a tiny sprig of fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to warm. Place figs in a small cup or bowl and pour the first 2 tablespoons of brandy over. Allow to macerate while you prepare the rest of the batter. In a medium mixing bowl, place next 7 ingredients. Make a well in the center and spoon/pour in yogurt, soymilk and brandy. Stir together with a fork until well combined. Stir in figs and any remaining liquid. Melt 1 additional tablespoon of the vegan butter, the oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook a couple of minutes on the first side until you see a few bubbles, get a nice rise and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. (While pancakes cook, make syrup.) When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm in the preheated oven, and repeat with remaining butter and/or oil and pancake batter. Serve warm with syrup and garnish.

Vegan Maple-Brandy Rosemary-Pecan Syrup

2 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves only
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoon brandy
1/4 cup pecan pieces

In a small cast iron skillet over medium-high, melt butter. Add rosemary, bruising between your fingers as you drop it into the butter. And remaining ingredients, and heat slowly, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes. Reduce heat if bubbling too fast. If you heat it slowly, the brandy shouldn’t combust. If it does, it will burn off on its own. Keep syrup warm until serving time.