Matt's+Recipe+Drafts

=Draft #1=

I got a chance to sleep in this weekend, and on days like that it’s a lot of fun to wake up with Kristen and throw together an awesome breakfast. Of course, when I say throw together, I mean create a delicious and photogenic meal that we can share in the morning. I think a good breakfast is always fun to make, because it helps make the morning a little longer before you have to start the day’s chores and such.

So I decided it’d be fun to try something slightly different—not complete, because we make pancakes all the time—but a recipe with slightly different ingredients (and ingredients that we loooooovveee!) The result of my momentary creativity was Chocolate Espresso Pancakes with Blackberry Espresso Syrup. And it’s exactly what it sounds like. Unless it sounds difficult, because it’s exactly the opposite. I used a very simple pancake recipe that makes a soft, thin pancake (almost more like a crepe) and just cooked some syrup and coffee with the blackberries for the topping. Here are the ingredients I used:

//For the pancakes// 1 cup whole wheat flour ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup powdered sugar (plus some for topping) ¼ cup espresso or strong brewed coffee 1 cup milk 1 egg

//For the syrup// 2 cups blackberries ¼ cup espresso or strong brewed coffee ¼ cup maple syrup

I used whole wheat flour, but white flour would be fine, I’m sure it would just make the pancakes a little bit lighter. I also substituted some organic Costa Rican Hot Cocoa mix that we had for the cocoa powder and left out the sugar because it was included in the mix. (Side note: that means I’m guessing on the sugar—I figured how much sugar I put in hot cocoa mix when I make it from scratch!) I made espresso in a 6-tasse moka stovetop brewer with medium roast El Salvador coffee, and not only did it pair really well with the sweetness of the breakfast, but it was great to drink while we were cooking!

I brewed the coffee first, because it didn’t really matter if it cooled down while I was making the batter, and I needed the stovetop free—and I wanted some coffee to drink while cooking! Here’s what my moka pot looked like brewing:

[picture]

Of course, you can make the coffee any way, but it should be pretty strong, almost like a concentrate, so the flavor really soaks into the pancake batter. Once the coffee was done and I didn’t have to worry about watching it, I started on the batter. Just like any simple batter, dry stuff first, and then gradually stir in the wet ingredients. Mine ended up looking like this:

[picture]

It should seem pretty thin—there’s a lot more liquid than you’d see for most recipes. But that’s okay, because these are going to end up more like crepes and you want them to be thin and bendable so you can fill them and fold them/roll them up. Now it’s up to you if you want to start right in on the pancakes, but I left my batter to sit (it helps it thicken just enough) and went on to making the topping.

I used a little saucepan and put the blackberries in first. I gave the measurement that I used and it worked pretty well for the amount of pancakes that the batter yielded (4-5), but obviously add or subtract depending on how much fruit you like! You can adjust the coffee and syrup measurements also, but I don’t think it’s really necessary. The main idea is to heat up some fruit, and just add a little liquid to get it started and add some flavor. It looks and smells delicious while it’s cooking:

[picture]

You want to sort of keep an eye on it, keep it on medium high heat until the liquid starts boiling and the fruit starts popping a little bit, then turn the heat down. After that point, I left the pot on simmer while I was making the pancakes—the fruit will cook a little more but it will mostly just keep it warm for serving.

Next, the pancakes. Now, I’ll admit—not the easiest thing to do. And I made plate-sized cakes, because I wanted to roll them up with the fruit topping inside. But if you’re no pancake whiz (or if you don’t have a big enough pancake flipper), you could make them smaller and just pile them on top of each other with the fruit inside or on top (like a //real// topping!). I used my vegetable frying pan, and turned the heat slightly higher than medium… if you’ve made pancakes, you know that the heat is always tricky to figure out, so please do what’s best with your stove. I let it warm up for a few minutes, and then I poured the batter slowly right in the middle. When the batter was in a circle about half the diameter of the pan itself, I stopped pouring and put the bowl down quickly so I could stretch the batter out. When I say this, I mean I picked up the pan and sort of turned it around at different angles so that gravity would pull the batter to all sides of the pan. It’s important to do this quickly so that the batter doesn’t start cooking, because after that point it will be difficult to move like this. Here’s my batter after all this:

[picture]

= Draft #2 =

I got a chance to sleep in this weekend, and on days like that it’s a lot of fun to wake up with Kristen and throw together an awesome breakfast. Of course, when I say throw together, I mean create a delicious and photogenic meal that we can share in the morning. I think a good breakfast is always fun to make, because it helps make the morning a little longer before you have to start the day’s chores and such. J

So I decided it’d be fun to try something slightly different—not complete, because we make pancakes all the time—but a recipe with slightly different ingredients (and ingredients that we loooooovveee!) The result of my momentary creativity was **Chocolate Espresso Pancakes with Blackberry Espresso Syrup**. And it’s exactly what it sounds like. Unless it sounds difficult, because it’s exactly the opposite. I used a very simple pancake recipe that makes a soft, thin pancake (almost more like a crepe) and just cooked some syrup and coffee with the blackberries for the topping. Here are the ingredients I used:

//For the pancakes// 1 cup whole wheat flour ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup powdered sugar (plus some for topping) ¼ cup espresso or strong brewed coffee 1 cup milk 1 egg

//For the syrup// 2 cups blackberries ¼ cup espresso or strong brewed coffee ¼ cup maple syrup

I used whole wheat flour, but white flour would be fine, I’m sure it would just make the pancakes a little bit lighter. I also substituted some organic Costa Rican Hot Cocoa mix that we had for the cocoa powder and left out the sugar because it was included in the mix. (Side note: that means I’m guessing on the sugar—I figured how much sugar I put in hot cocoa mix when I make it from scratch!) I made espresso in a 6-tasse moka stovetop brewer with medium roast El Salvador coffee, and not only did it pair really well with the sweetness of the breakfast, but it was great to drink while we were cooking!

I brewed the coffee first, because it didn’t really matter if it cooled down while I was making the batter, and I needed the stovetop free—and I wanted some coffee to drink while cooking! Here’s what my moka pot looked like brewing:

[picture]

Of course, you can make the coffee any way, but it should be pretty strong, almost like a concentrate, so the flavor really soaks into the pancake batter. Once the coffee was done and I didn’t have to worry about watching it, I started on the batter. Just like any simple batter, dry stuff first, and then gradually stir in the wet ingredients. Mine ended up looking like this:

[picture]

It should seem pretty thin—there’s a lot more liquid than you’d see for most recipes. But that’s okay, because these are going to end up more like crepes and you want them to be thin and bendable so you can fill them and fold them/roll them up. Now it’s up to you if you want to start right in on the pancakes, but I left my batter to sit (it helps it thicken just enough) and went on to making the topping.

I used a little saucepan and put the blackberries in first. I gave the measurement that I used and it worked pretty well for the amount of pancakes that the batter yielded (4-5), but obviously add or subtract depending on how much fruit you like! You can adjust the coffee and syrup measurements also, but I don’t think it’s really necessary. The main idea is to heat up some fruit, and just add a little liquid to get it started and add some flavor. It looks and smells delicious while it’s cooking:

[picture]

You want to sort of keep an eye on it, keep it on medium high heat until the liquid starts boiling and the fruit starts popping a little bit, then turn the heat down. After that point, I left the pot on simmer while I was making the pancakes—the fruit will cook a little more but it will mostly just keep it warm for serving.

Next, the pancakes. Now, I’ll admit—not the easiest thing to do. And I made plate-sized cakes, because I wanted to roll them up with the fruit topping inside. But if you’re no pancake whiz (or if you don’t have a big enough pancake flipper), you could make them smaller and just pile them on top of each other with the fruit inside or on top (like a //real// topping!). I used my vegetable frying pan, and turned the heat slightly higher than medium… if you’ve made pancakes, you know that the heat is always tricky to figure out, so please do what’s best with your stove. I let it warm up for a few minutes, and then I poured the batter slowly right in the middle. When the batter was in a circle about half the diameter of the pan itself, I stopped pouring and put the bowl down quickly so I could stretch the batter out. When I say this, I mean I picked up the pan and sort of turned it around at different angles so that gravity would pull the batter to all sides of the pan. It’s important to do this quickly so that the batter doesn’t start cooking, because after that point it will be difficult to move like this. Here’s my batter after all this:

[picture]

Each side gets about two minutes (obviously, use this as a guideline because every stove is different, and the first one will take a little bit longer); make sure you have a plate ready to keep them on when they’re finished. I put mine on a plate and kept it in the oven—the oven will keep in the heat of the pancakes and they will soften a little bit so that it’s easier the fold them with the fruit.

Like I said, my batter made about 5 decent-sized pancakes, and you can make them thicker or larger to suit what you want to do, but I’d say make them all and just keep them warm before serving—then you’re not going back and forth or worrying about the stove being on while you’re eating!

How the breakfast is served can really be up to you, I’ve got a picture of what mine turned out like; I laid a pancake on the plate and spooned blackberries (and syrup) into the middle, then rolled the pancake around it and secured the middle with a toothpick. I put a few more berries on top for decoration and drizzled syrup on and around the pancake to soak in the flavor. Sprinkle the powdered sugar on top and get ready for a killer breakfast! I had some leftover espresso that was delicious with it, also—any brew breakfast coffee would be delicious as well. = =

= = =Draft: Traditional/Standard form Recipe=


 * Chocolate Espresso Pancakes with Blackberry-Espresso Syrup**

//For the pancakes// 1 cup whole wheat flour ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup powdered sugar (plus some for topping) ¼ cup espresso or strong brewed coffee 1 cup milk 1 egg, beaten

//For the syrup// 2 cups blackberries ¼ cup espresso or strong brewed coffee ¼ cup maple syrup


 * 1) Start by making the pancake batter. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar into a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the liquid ingredients (coffee, milk, egg). Mix the batter with a spoon until smooth and slightly think. Set aside to chill.
 * 2) Make the syrup. Use a small saucepan over medium heat, and add all three ingredients together. Heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid begins to boil slightly and the berries begin to pop, then reduce heat to simmer.
 * 3) Make the pancakes. Use a medium frying pan and pour the batter directly in the middle of the pan. Lift and turn the pan to evenly distribute the batter; batter should almost fill the pan, if possible. Cook two minutes on each side, until edges begin to brown.
 * 4) Serve on a plate; top the pancake with the berries and roll the sides together, and fix with a toothpick. Drizzle syrup over pancake and sprinkle with powdered sugar; serve with medium roast coffee and enjoy!