8 March 2011

Celebrate Pancake Day with Tiramisu Pancakes

Tiramisu Pancakes

Today is Shrove Tuesday which to me has always been referred to as "Pancake Day."  Perishables like eggs and dairy products, which are generally banned during Lent, need to be used up and if you practice religious holidays this is your last night to indulge in rich, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season. There is no better way to use up these ingredients today than in our favourite breakfast treat... pancakes!!



In Britain and several other countries around the world, Pancake Day is celebrated with fun games and of course a lot of eating. As a child I loved the fact that we could have "breakfast for dinner". We would get into our pyjamas and sit around the large wooden dining room table wolfing down as many pancakes as we could handle at such a tender age. Even if you don't follow religious holidays Pancake Day is a time to celebrate!!!! In my books ANY excuse to celebrate with food is a good thing!!

Of course Canada is not the only country celebrating this time of year. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" (in English tradition, Shrove Tuesday) in New Orleans, what’s known as Paczki Day (pronounced much like ‘punch-key’) in Poland, and then there is Italy with Carnavale....all celebrations whose roots began in using up perishables before the Lenten season.

We always celebrated Pancake Day when we were kids, so, in the naivety of a child I thought it was a British thing. What kid, or adult for that matter, wouldn't want to have pancakes for supper with loads of Canadian maple syrup!!!! You don't have to be British, Catholic, Polish, follow Lent or be in New Orleans or Italy to have some delicious pancakes for supper on Shrove Tuesday!!I don't let that get in my way!!!! Of course I am not partying it up as they are in New Orleans but am celebrating in my own quiet way.

 I decided to amp it up and create special pancakes especially for today. Would I go for pancakes with bacon, apple or corn? I wisely opted for these cocoa flavoured pancakes with their out of this world mascarpone cheese topping which make for a not too sweet tiramisu-inspired treat. This is the perfect way to start or end your day. The idea for these pancakes came from Ivory Hut . You would expect them to be sweet like their namesake but they are perfectly balanced in flavour and texture. So depending on where you are be sure to enjoy the festivities... Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Fastnacht Day or Fausnaught Day!!!! Amp up your breakfast or "breakfast for dinner" with these not too sweet cocoa-flavoured rendition of the traditional pancake. Food has no calories today. It's a known fact....



**Tiramisu Pancakes**

For the pancakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, slightly rounded, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
a generous pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cups sour cream
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons instant coffee

For the glaze (optional):

1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur

For the cream:

4 oz.(1/2 cup) mascarpone cheese
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Start by preparing the cream and the glaze. For the cream, beat all ingredients together and whip until you have soft peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator. (Tip: this cream tastes amazing, and is what really makes these pancakes. If you like generous amounts of cream on your pancakes, you might want to make a double portion.) The glaze is optional, but very, very (and I mean very) good. Simply combine the ingredients well. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure the cocoa powder is well sifted, so that it will dissolve evenly.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk and sour cream until smooth (it helps to slowly dilute the sour cream with the milk while whisking, which reduces the chances of clumps). Add the instant coffee powder and mix well until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until you have a slightly lumpy batter but without any large clumps of flour. If batter is a little runny, add a tablespoon or two of flour. I like to transfer my batter to a measuring cup or something else with a spout, for easier cooking.

Let the batter sit while you preheat your griddle. When griddle is hot, drop batter in portions desired (1/4 cup for regular-sized pancakes) onto the greased griddle. When bubbles come up and edges look cooked, gently flip to cook the other side. Once pancakes are cooked, transfer to a plate. Spread a small amount of the maple glaze over the top of the pancake so it soaks in while still hot. Continue with the remaining batter until done.

To serve, dollop a generous amount of the cream in between layers of pancakes. Top with more cream, and then top with shaved chocolate, or a light dusting of sifted cocoa powder.

Serve with extra cream and/or glaze on the side for dipping. A bonus: these pancakes taste amazing even when cold.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison. Best Blogger Tips

28 comments:

  1. What lovely fancy-pants pancakes Val. Happy Shrove Tuesday.
    Sam

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  2. Val, I can only say two things: wow and yum!!

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  3. I shall certainly celebrate with this brilliant pancake creation...love it!

    Ciao for now,
    Claudia

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  4. Vall I love pancakes savoy and sweet and the kids too! Lovely and nice idea! xxgloria

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  5. I would eat pancakes a lot more often if they were always covered in whipped cream and marscapone cheese! Wow!

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  6. It's funny I never grew up with any real Mardi Gras traditions. Other than knowing that was going on in NOLA and in Italy and Brazil, there wasn't much observation in my neck of the woods. I really didn't know anyone who did either. My grandmother was VERY serious about Lent though. It wasn't until I went to college in PA Dutch country and learned of fastnachts that I realized just how many traditions are out there.

    Cocao pancakes with mascarpone filling? I'm so there!

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  7. Now, that's a pancake! Wow. I think the International House of Pancakes should consider these on their menu. Then again, they'd sell out fast!
    Lovely, Val.

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  8. Happy Shrove Tuesday! That is a terrific idea. Your pancakes must taste just out of this world!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  9. I wish I had these for breakfast right now!

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  10. Val, I am so delighted by your recipe. :-) What fun!! I love breakfasts that are decadent and make you feel like a queen. :-)

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  11. Crudeli! This looks so good. My resolve is weakening. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  12. Wao!!! Tramisu pancakes... these are awesome, I bet they are so yummy too.. i'll definately have to try this one... thanx for sharing and happy Pancake Day!!!

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  13. Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Carneval- I'm down for any celebration!

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  14. Now that's a real "international" pancake. Cheers!

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  15. After seeing all of these fabulous pancake posts around the web, I seriously wish I had realized what today was! These tiramisu pancakes are beyond decadent. Yum.

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  16. You certainly know how to take pancakes to the next level Val...these look scrumptious!

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  17. what a tasty and unique idea! i'm always open to new ways to eat pancakes, and this is the first tiramisu-inspired version i've seen--excellent creation!

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  18. Never heard of Pancake Day. But I can imagine kids of all ages enjoying your pancakes for dinner. They look dandy. I'd take mine with a steaming mug of black coffee.
    LL

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  19. This looks more like dessert than breakfast for dinner. But absolutely delectable.

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  20. Val these pancakes look amazing! I love the idea and they'd be a great end to any meal.

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  21. It looks delicious and perfect for "Pancake Day!"

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  22. Wow, how naughty do they look. They look like the ultimate pancake! A shame I'm reading this on Wednesday and have already started my healthy eating campaign! :(

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  23. Those are some gorgeous-looking pancakes! What an elegant way to celebrate Pancake Day!

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  24. That's MY kind of pancake! Even better than a Nutelle Crepe bought on the streets in Paris!

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  25. Val, I hope that you enjoyed these tiramisu pancakes to the fullest! "Amped Up" is an understatement. You are so creative and TALENTED! This is an Italian dream to indulge in before Lent.....which I now have to forget about for 40 more days! Blessings, Roz

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  26. Tiramisu pancakes? How brilliant, decadent, I must make these!

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  27. Now this takes pancakes to a whole other level! Funny too, because Roberto and were talking about making mini cakes and such with the buckwheat pancakes I posted on my blog!

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  28. Valerie!!!
    I know you live alone, you know. Is this legal? You are DEFINITELY a woman of my own heart. Mascarpone cheese makes me weak in the knees whenever I open it. I think we had pancakes on Shrove Tuesday ONCE as a child and Shrove Tuesday was a big deal then... I didn't even know I'd missed it. That one time was like having it every year all of my life. It was that special.
    These, would have laid me flat!
    :)
    Valerie

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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