Shrove or Mardi Gras, Venezuelan Chocolate Maple Pancakes by Paul A. Young
It suddenly dawned on me that I had failed my duty of sharing something-anything in the spirit of Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras.
Thankfully, I found just what i needed in Adventures with Chocolate (Kyle Books, 2011) by London chocolatier Paul A. Young .
Venezuelan chocolate pancakes with chocolate maple syrup
This recipe is my homage to Sunday-morning brunch, which is one of those occasions when anything goes; in other words, be as indulgent and naughty as you like because it is certainly not the time to count calories or grams of fat. Feel free to add blueberries, nuts, and sultanas if the fancy takes you. The syrup can be made days or even weeks in advance and stored in the fridge.
FOR THE PANCAKES
1 ounce Venezuelan 100% (unsweetened) dark chocolate, grated
11/3 cups buckwheat or spelt flour
1 large organic egg
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon light muscovado or brown sugar
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
unsalted butter, melted, as needed
FOR THE SYRUP
Pinch of sea salt
Scant 1 cup pure maple syrup
31/2 ounces 70% dark chocolate, chopped
Place all the pancake ingredients (except the butter) in a blender or food processor and process until a smooth, thick batter is formed. Leave the batter to rest while you make the syrup.
To make the syrup, dissolve the salt in 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan over a gentle heat, then add the maple syrup and bring to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and whisk well until smooth.
Heat a crêpe pan or nonstick large frying pan until quite hot and grease with butter. Spoon 1/4-cup portions of the batter into the griddle, spacing them well apart. Cook over medium heat until you see bubbles on the surface of the pancake, then carefully turn over and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Place the pancakes on a plate and cover with foil until you have cooked the entire batch.
Serve the pancakes laced with the warm syrup – be generous as the pancakes soak up a lot!
(* Recipe from Adventures with Chocolate by Paul A.Young - published by Kyle Books, 2011- all rights reserved, reproduced by permission of Kyle Books)