With holidays looming there should be plenty of time to try these soft and light, date pancakes. Cook one first to get the pan temperature right; wait for the mixture to just start bubbling before flipping to cook the other side.
DATE PANCAKES
Makes 12
7 pitted dates, chopped roughly
½ cup water
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp butter
1½ cups self-rising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
2 eggs
1 Tbsp honey
1½ cups milk
A little butter for cooking
Lemon Syrup
½ cup lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp honey
½ cup fresh mandarin segments and raspberries
Mascarpone to serve
1. Into a small saucepan place the dates and water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Drain half the liquid. Stir through the baking soda and butter, then allow to cool.
2. In a bowl place the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Combine the eggs, honey and milk in a bowl. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold through the dates. Set aside for 10 minutes or until ready to cook.
4. In a small pot combine the lemon juice, zest and honey. Bring to a simmer until it becomes syrupy, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and gently fold through the fruit.
5. To cook the pancakes, lightly grease a frying pan with a little butter. Add a ¼ cup of mixture and swirl in the pan a little. Cook for 3 minutes or until just starting to bubble. Turn and cook the other side. Continue with the remaining mixture.
6. Serve warm with syrup, fruit and a dollop of mascarpone.
