Maple and Black Raspberry Pancakes Recipe

Maple and Black Raspberry Pancakes

from Homegrown Pure & Simple
by Michel Nischan and Mary Goodbody

Maple-Black Raspberry Syrup:

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 cup real maple syrup
2/3 cup black raspberries or red or golden raspberries, or a mixture

Pancakes:

2 to 3 oranges
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teasoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole or 2-percent milk
1 large egg, well beaten
2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
3/4 cup black raspberries or red or golden raspberries, or a mixture

Serves 3

This and many other
wonderful recipes may be found in
Homegrown Pure & Simple
by Michel Nischan and Mary Goodbody from Chronicle Books

Does maple syrup have a season? You bet your bottom dollar it does! In fact, Native Americans once celebrated the early spring awakening of the maple trees. As soon as the days showed a little warmth, the trees offered their lifeblood, or sap, and the native peoples rejoiced by enjoying the rewarding sweetness and nutrients flowing through the noble trees. They shared this wonder with the early settlers, who then waited patiently for the end of winter to replenish the syrup stocks that had run out. Interestingly, maple syrup was once the only affordable sweetener around, which explains why so many eighteenth-century American recipes relied on it. When Caribbean trade made cane sugar readily available, maple syrup was relegated to dressing griddle cakes and corn mush.
This recipe breaks maple syrup out of the box! Most of us think only of pouring it straight from the bottle over pancakes or waffles, but l use it to sweeten the pancake batter and also mix it with fresh orange juice and berries for a thick, chunky syrup. I love the syrup in this recipe over pancakes and waffles, but I also use it to glaze chicken and pork.
Black raspberries, one of my favorite berries, grow easily in most gardens and hedgerows. In fact, once the raspberry bushes are established, you have to prune them every year to keep them from taking over! When you mix the berries with orange juice and maple syrup, their flavor perks up with a sweet tang, and the natural nutrients in the berries and juice are beneficial for everyone. While I call for black raspberries, you can make this with red or golden raspberries or any mixture of the three.

1. To make the syrup, combine the orange juice and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes, or until reduced to 1/2 cup.

2. Add the orange zest and maple syrup and stir to mix. Add the berries and mash gently with a fork to release the flavors and juices. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover and set aside to keep warm while you make the pancakes. You should have about 1 1/2 cups syrup.

3. To make the pancakes, grate the zest of 2 of the oranges. (I like to use a Microplane grater.) Be careful not to grate the white pith that is beneath the colored part of the peel. Set the zest aside.

4. Cut the oranges in half and squeeze out the juice. You will need 1/2 cup. If necessary, squeeze the third orange to measure the full 1/2 cup.

5. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the orange zest, milk, orange juice, and egg. Stir the batter just until combined but still lumpy. (If you overbeat the batter so that it's smooth, the pancakes will be tough.)

6. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. When hot, lightly oil the pan by moistening a clean kitchen towel with the oil and rubbing it over the bottom of the pan. Working in batches if necessary, ladle the batter into the pan, using a generous 1/4 cup for each pancake and spacing the pancakes about 1 inch apart. Scatter a few berries over each pancake; they will sink into the batter. Cook for about 1 minute, or until the tops of the pancakes bubble. Turn and cook for about 30 seconds longer, gently pushing on the pancakes to cook the berries. You will have 6 plump pancakes, each 4 to 5 inches in diameter.

7. Serve the pancakes immediately and pass the warm syrup at the table.