Homemade Pancakes with Peach Compote (Dairy)

INGREDIENTS:

3 medium to large peaches, cut in half and pitted, then sliced thinly

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup spring water

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk (or 1 cup milk and 1/4 cup cream)

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

This recipe is a quick and delicious idea for the weekend breakfast. I had peaches I bought from the farmers market that were sagging a little and no longer tempting to grab one out of the bowl and snack on. Instead of dumping them in the trash, their almost over-ripe sweetness was perfect for a warm compote.

For the compote, combine the brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and spring water in a small bowl and whisk. Add the peaches to a warm saucepan and pour the sugar-mixture over the peaches. Over a medium heat, stir the peaches occasionally until the liquid has reduced to a medium-thickened syrup. About 15 minutes, be careful not to let the syrup get to thick as you want it to have a nice consistency to be absorbed by your pancakes when poured over them. When the syrup has reached the consistency you want, remove from the heat. I put my compote in a separate bowl for everyone to choose how much they want over their own pancakes. You can also serve directly over the pancakes if you want to plate the food yourself.

For the pancakes, combine all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Create a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the milk, melted butter, and egg. I add the egg in last because if the butter is still hot, I don't want it to have any chance to cook my egg and give me scrambled egg pancakes. Mix until batter forms a smooth consistency and is free from lumps. If you find your batter is a little on the thick side, add spring water about 2 tablespoons at a time and mix. Don't overdo it! Too much water too quickly can easily make your batter much too thin. You want your batter to have a nice 'pour-ability'.

Once your batter is the consistency you want, heat up a large frying pan and melt a pat of butter in it, over a medium flame. Once the pan is hot and the butter is melted, pour about 1/2 cup of batter into one pile in the pan. I use a large cooking spoon (not quite as large as a soup ladle) to pour my batter and it works well. You can make your pancakes as large or as small as you want, but just remember that you will have to flip them, and the bigger the pancake the more difficult it is to flip. Once you pour the batter into the pan, don't fiddle with it, just leave it to cook. After some practice you can get the feel for the size of pancake you want. When the batter starts to form small bubbles on the top, it is ready to be flipped. Flip the pancake and let it cook on the second side for about a minute, larger pancakes my need more time. When the pancake has a golden brown color on both sides, you know it is done.

I keep my pancakes in a covered platter until all are cooked and ready to eat. Serve immediately with warm peach compote. Your friends will be impressed that you are able to make such delicious gourmet homemade food!

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