Snowstorms, Snowbound and Carb Loading – Chocolate Chunk – Orange Pancakes with Heavenly Mascarpone Cream and Crushed Pistachios

  Ok, so I’m jumping on the pancake bandwagon!

Thank Goodness I am NOT snowbound here in NJ……  I don’t do well with that.  It has been bright and sunny – a nice gift.  We were able to get out easily yesterday morning and went into New York for awhile to get some fresh air.  Unfortunately, the sidewalk and road clearing weren’t optimum, but we had a great time anyway.  We visited BLT Burger and Le Fanion, one of my favorite little shops in the West Village where they have the best collection of Provencal pottery I have seen in a long while.

I have had more than a little chuckle over the last couple of days as I watched the recipe feeds online as Winter Storm Nemo came together and nailed the east coast.  This is an interesting phenomenon –  the degree to which people crave carbs in bad weather! I am not sure why we do this, but it sure seems we do!  – neuroscientists, psychologists, nutritionists, care to comment?

Favorite foods to crave, aside from the propensity toward alcohol??? –   pasta, bread, cheese, chocolate, cakes, cookies, tortes, etc., etc. and……pancakes!  No surprises here.  (I saw an inordinate number of people buying chips and salsa in the grocery store on Thursday night? I found this curious.)

Ahhhh, pancakes……  Aside from all those memories from childhood and your Mom lovingly making them for you, these yummy little morsels are easy to whip up, just for yourselves in adulthood and to have fun embellishing –  for breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and, are extra versatile and extra satisfying.  They are the perfect food for apres-ski, apres-shovel, apres-Downton and well, just about anything.  We can even make ourselves feel better about such indulgences by incorporating all kinds of “healthy” ingredients – healthier grains, gluten-free flours, seeds, fruits, nuts and other added ingredients – such as ricotta cheese and greek yogurt.   The topping selection seems endless, too……..  A great opportunity to go crazy if you are snow-bound.

I have posted some favorite pancake recipes on my blog and facebook in the past.  There is surely no shortage of recipes to try.

Today, however, this is my own offering (George approved):

CHOCOLATE CHUNK AND ORANGE PANCAKES WITH HEAVENLY MASCARPONE CREAM AND CRUSHED PISTACHIOS  (adapted from Desperate Days Pancakes on this blog)

for the batter:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tblsp plus 1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 – 1/2 cup buttermilk (you may need a little more)

2 tblsp sugar with the zest of 1/2 lg navel orange “worked in” with your fingertips

1 cup non-fat plain yogurt

3 tblsp butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

a  generous 1/2 cup dark chocolate (I prefer bittersweet with orange) cut into small chunks

for the toppings:

1 8 0z container mascarpone cheese – at room temperature

1/4 cup good quality orange marmalade

3 tblsp heavy cream

1 cup crushed pistachios

2 cups Real Maple Syrup –  Dark Amber

2 tablespoons of orange zest

1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier

  An empty bowl? A Challenge!

  

  

  

In a medium bowl, beat mascarpone cheese until smooth.  Blend in the orange marmalade and then a couple of tablespoons of the heavy cream.  Continue to add the heavy cream, tablespoon by tablespoon until you have a nice creamy texture – I like it with just 3 tblsp of cream.  Add 1 tblsp of grand marnier and blend. Set aside.

Melt butter and set aside to cool.  Heat griddle on medium heat until hot but not smoking.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, vanilla and butter.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Mix dry ingredients into wet, adding enough buttermilk to make a batter which is not too thick, not too thin, just right – holds its shape when dolloped onto griddle.  Fold in chocolate chunks.

Brush the griddle with a little melted butter or light, flavorless oil.  Ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle.  Cook until the edges start to firm and flip.  Cook on second side until lightly browned.  If not cooked through, set inside a 325F. oven to finish and keep warm.

In the meantime, pour your maple syrup into a small saucepan.  Add the orange zest and heat gently.

Place a generous dollop of the mascarpone cream on top of your pancakes.  Pour the maple syrup over pancakes, top with crushed pistachios and serve immediately.

HAPPY FACE!

Disclaimer:  (I am sorry – sometimes I write about health issues – this is not a macrobiotic recipe and Joel Fuhrman would not approve!  I am a human fraught with many frailties.)