Everything turns violently ensanguined when you add beets to them, but in the midst of their bloody bliss is the promise of chilled summer borscht, red velvet cakes, or roseate risottos. And then there’s beet pancakes…
I fell for these crimson colored pancakes in Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain… though the trouble in cooking pancakes has to do with self-control, a virtue I am constantly in want of. I eat them as soon as each one is done so I never get a lovely stack to share. The brilliant solution was to get someone else to cook them (aka, the boyfriend). I roasted some beets the previous night while baking focaccia and pureed them in advance so they could be quickly prepared for breakfast.
This recipe made so many pancakes we had to find a 4th person to finish the whole stack. This is probably because they are made with quinoa and whole wheat flours. Is it just me or do they triple in size upon consumption? The mascarpone adds a creamy honeyed texture that elevates this pancake to a extraordinary brunch. Also, fresh berries are a must. I’m already glum thinking about these dwindling days of summer.
Recipe Modified from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain
Dry Mix:
1/2 c. quinoa flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all purpose flour
3 TB brown sugar
1 TB baking powder
3/4 ts. salt
Wet Mix
1/2 c. cooked and pureed beets (roast covered in a 400 °F for about 1 hour, puree in food processor until smooth)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 c. plain yogurt
3 TB unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
Toppings:
Mascarpone Cheese
Fresh berries (I heat mine in a small sauce pan with some sugar to help them release their juices)
Maple Syrup
+ Sift together dry ingredients.
+ In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Gently fold wet into dry mix with a rubber spatula.
+ Cook pancakes 1/4 c. at a time.
* This batter should be used the day it is made though Kim suggests thinning it out with 1 TB of milk at a time if storing overnight.
