Carrot Cake Pancakes
These are small pancakes (about 8-10cm diameter) made with finely-grated carrots in the batter. I usually grate the carrots by hand using the fine side of a grater as this ensures they cook more evenly. The original recipe came from BBC Good food, but I’ve tweaked a lot since that recipe and this version bears little resemblance to that ancient antecedent.
Prep time: 20 minutes/Cook time: 20 minutes/Makes 12-16
Ingredients:
125g (1 cup) whole-grain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp mixed spice
1 large egg
2 tbsp brown sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk, (plus more if needed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g (2 cups) finely grated carrots (from about a 3/4 pound bundle whole carrots)
3 tbsp butter, for griddle
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 100°C (210°F) and place an oven-proof plate in the centre; this is just to keep your pancakes warm as you cook the remainder (you will need to fry them in batches).
For the pancakes: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mixed spice in a large bowl. In a second, small, bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, buttermilk and vanilla then stir in carrots. Now stir the carrot mixture into dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Set aside rest for five minutes as you prepare the pan.
Place a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp butter and allow to melt.
Check your batter; if it seems too thick to you (although a thicker batter is better as it spreads less in the pan), add a splash or two of extra buttermilk, as needed. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the resultant batter (per pancake) into the hot pan per pancake. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, until golden then flip over and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side, until golden. Transfer the finished pancakes to the warmed plate in your oven, then repeat the cooking process until all the batter has been used up.
To serve, I like these topped with cream cheese mixed with finely-grated lemon zest, but you can serve as you prefer.
