Blessed Imbolc Everyone

Today is Imbolc or as we call it in Belgium: Maria Lichtmis, a day on which traditionally one eats pancakes.

Yesterday I posted a recipe for nutty pancakes and if you scroll down you can find a recipe for Chamomile Pannkakstårta. You simply MUST try these once in your lifetime! (zondag 18 januari)

Today I give you 2 recipes for Green tea pancakes

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp matcha (green tea powder)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups sour cream
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients together and whisk in the wet ingredients.
Stir untill mixed but still lumpy.
Melt butter on non-stick pan over medium heat and add batter by 1/4 to 1/3 cupfuls.
Once it bubbles on top of batter, turn it over and cook about another 3 mins. or til golden brown.
Transfer to plate.

Heart Healthy Oatmeal Green Tea Pancakes
Ingredients:
3/4 cup fat free milk
1 flavored green tea bags or 1 tsp loose leaf tea
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:
Bring the milk and honey to a light simmer (you do not want it to actually boil at all) on medium heat.
Remove from heat and add the tea bag or the loose leaf tea in an infuser.
Let steep 3 minutes.
It will smell very good.
You will be tempted to drink some but don’t — you need the green tea milk for the pancakes! Discard tea bag or remove infuser. Press on tea to get all of the milk out.
Add the vanilla and stir.
Cool the tea/milk mixture to room temperature.
Stir the infused milk into the oats and let stand 15 minutes.
Whisk together the buttermilk, oil and eggs.
Stir in the oatmeal mixture, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Coat skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
Place on medium-high heat.
Drop batter by 1/4 cups onto the griddle.
Cook 2 minutes, or until bubbles appear on the top and the edges begin to look dry.
Turn and cook 1-2 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit. Or bacon.

Nutty Pancakes

Submitted by: Michelle Fischer

a great gourmet nutty pancake with praline syrup

Ingredients:
a 32 oz box buttermilk pancake mix
1/2 18 ox jar peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
2 cups very strong brewed Nutcracker tea
1/2 cup milk (optional)
3 TBS granulated sugar

optional: top with butter, praline syrup, sprinkle powdered sugar

Directions:
Mix well pancake batter, peanut butter, brewed tea, sugar, milk if desired adding little bits of water until a creamy brownie like batter consistency.
For thicker fluffier pancakes use a little less water and for thinner pancakes use a little more. Ladle onto lightly sprayed griddle cook until golden brown.
Flip over until golden brown.
Serve warm with praline syrup or your favorite topping.
Lightly dust with powered sugar if desired.

Chamomile Pannkakstårta

Submitted by: Myles Schaller

A Swedish recipe, this is a cake made of stacked crepe pancakes - with the TeaChef addition of chamomile syrup.

Ingredients:

For Pancakes:
5 eggs
2.5 cups milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2.1 cups flour
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (and a little extra)
1 cup whipped cream
a little water

Syrup:
looseleaf chamomile tea
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Optional for Decoration & Taste:
any sort of fruit, raisins, jam, or whatever you care to use (I used strawberries and dark chocolate) - and of course chamomile flowers!

Directions:
Combine the eggs, 2 Tbsp. sugar, salt, and half the milk.
Mix in flour until it is smooth and without clumps.
Add the rest of the milk with a little water and stir thoroughly.
Melt the butter and stir it in.
Preheat a skillet to medium heat and melt a little butter in it (enough to cover the skillet's surface fairly well).
Ladle in enough of the batter to thinly cover the skillet, and tilt/rotate the skillet to make sure the batter is evenly spread across the surface.
Slide a knife (or rubber spatula if you don't want to scratch the pan) under the crepe and around the edges frequently to prevent it from sticking.
When the bottom of the pancake is a nice light brown colour, flip the pancake.
All this really requires is careful manipulation with the knife, but if you're brave, you can try standing back and flinging it into the air with the skillet and catching it on the other side - but make extra batter to use up if it's your first time :)
When the other side is cooked (because it was not cooked on butter, it will look different from the first side, but it should be obvious when it's done), move it to a plate and butter the skillet again, and continue to make crepes.
If the temperature gets too hot (because depending on the size of the skillet and amount of batter you've made you might be doing this for quite a while), turn down when necessary.
Stack the finished pancakes on top of each other on the plate.
When you're out of batter, or when you've had enough, you can stop.
Let the pancakes cool while you make the syrup.

Brew a very strong cup of chamomile tea. It's best to err on the side of too strong, as the chamomile flavour is subtle.
Combine the tea and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat and let cool.

While the syrup is cooling, whip the cream by fork or electric mixer.

Take out the pancakes, whipped cream, chamomile syrup, and assorted decorations out to a table to make things easier.
Take out an empty plate which will hold the end result.
Put a pancake onto this plate and slather with whipped cream.
Stack another pancake on top of this one and pour chamomile syrup onto it.
Continue alternating in this way until you run out of pancakes.
If your stack begins to lean (or if you want to make a Leaning Tower of Pancakes, as I did), shove in a strawberry, piece of fruit, or whatever you're using every few pancakes for structural support and tastiness.
Slather the final pancake with whipped cream and arrange your decorations on top, brushing the chamomile flowers onto it to cover it with a nice gold powder.