Carrot Cake Pancakes w/ Cream Cheese Icing

 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Special Tools: a griddle or non-stick pan is ideal, but not necessary, a mixer

Makes: about 10-12 pancakes

 

 

For the pancakes:

1 cup              AP flour

¾ tbsp.          baking powder

1 tbsp.            almonds, chopped fine

1 tbsp.            brown sugar

1 tbsp.            sugar

¼ tsp.             cinnamon

¼ tsp.             nutmeg

2 ea.                eggs

¾ cup             buttermilk

2 cups             carrots, fine grated

½ cup             raisins

1 tbsp.            lemon zest

3-4 tbsp.        melted butter for cooking

 

For the cream cheese icing:

1 stick            cream cheese

¼ cup             icing sugar

2 tsp.              cinnamon

1 tsp.              vanilla

1 cup              whipping cream

 

For eating:

Some good quality Quebec maple syrup

 

• Start with preparing the cream cheese spread
• In a bowl or the bowl of a Kitchen Aid, cream together the cream cheese and the icing sugar until smooth
• Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and the cream
• Slowly blend the cream in to combine, but don’t overmix, as it will become grainy
• Refrigerate until ready to serve, now for the pancakes!
• Begin by sifting the flour into a large bowl
• Then add the baking powder, brown sugar, sugar, almonds, cinnamon, and nutmeg
• Using a whisk, stir the dry ingredients to combine
• In a separate bowl combine the eggs, and buttermilk
• Whisk until combined
• Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until combined
• Lastly, fold in the carrots, raisins, and lemon zest
• Let stand for about 10 minutes for the ingredients to come together
• This recipe may require an additional couple of tablespoons of buttermilk, or even milk to attain the right consistency, it should not be thin and runny, but it also should be able to pour fairly well with a ladle, adjust accordingly, if necessary
• Once the batter is ready, heat a medium sized pan to medium heat
• Add a little bit of melted butter and swirl to coat the bottom
• Then quickly add the batter, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, but not too much, swirl the batter around the pan to cover evenly
• Let cook until it begins to brown slightly around the outside, and begins to bubble in the centre, about 2-3 minutes
• Flip the pancake over and repeat cooking on the other side
• If the pancake is too browned on the outside before it is cooked in the centre turn the heat down slightly, if the pancake is cooked through, without browning at all turn the heat up slightly
• Repeat with the remaining batter until all of the pancakes are cooked
• You don’t need to make your pancakes look the way that mine do, they will taste just as good even if you don’t present them quite the same, just smear them with the cream cheese, drizzle them with maple syrup and the kids will be in heaven!

 

Who’s hungry?