Kosta Makes Decadent Kefir Pancakes

Kefir Pancakes with Cocoa Roasted Apples and Peanut Butter-Scotch Sauce

 ~ Makes 21 Pancakes ~

This recipe comes from the East. Traditionally in Russia, they are made with fresh kefir and bread flour, called “blinis”.  They are soft, with a foam-like texture and the perfect staple to a Sunday in the countryside of the ex-Soviet Union. Our version is adding white spelt flour in order to reduce the gluten content. If you would like a gluten-free version you can substitute the white spelt and wheat flour mix with buckwheat flour. This flour gives the mixture a darker brown colour however, in case you are looking for golden coloured pancakes. 

Fermentation in Eastern Europe is highly practiced.  Long winters mean that a lot of the vegetables will be consumed fermented or pickled during the months of heavy snowfall and -20°C temperatures. Thus, the tarty flavour of fermented goods is prevalent in a lot of the recipes. It is associated with comfort and a feeling of sharing and community, a trademark of good food. 

Ingredients

6 eggs
750 ml Organic Kefir
450 g white Spelt flour
200 g strong wheat flour
1 tbsp level, baking soda
1 tbsp level, baking powder
3 tbsp Coconut sugar
1 tbsp salt
5 tbsp tapioca flour
50 ml olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar 

Method

Combine all the ingredients apart from the vinegar to a thick batter. Add the vinegar, folding it into the mixture and leave the batter rest for 15 min. You will see the bubbles rising to the top. This means the batter is ready to cook. 

For the chef that likes to juggle it all at once on the stove – place three pans lightly oiled on low flame ( No. 3 on an electric hob) or if you are a cook that likes to take his/her time, take things at a slower pace and just use one pan.  Pour a ladle full of the batter onto the pan, for a pancake diameter of approximately 5 inches and then cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes. Once the top has developed a crusty surface, flip and cook for another 30 seconds on the second side. The result should be a fluffy, chewy pancake.

It's possible for serving purposes to re-heat your batch cooked pancakes the oven at 180°C for 5 min. 

Cocoa Roasted Apples

5 Apples, preferably green
1 tsp cocoa – I use the Pukka Organic Cocoa Maca Latte Powder
1 tbsp Coconut oil
1 tbsp demerara sugar

Cut each apple in 8 wedges. Saute in high flame. Add sugar and cocoa. Once soft remove.

 

Peanut Butter Scotch Sauce

500g Peanut Butter
1 can coconut milk (200ml)
1 cup demerara sugar
1 bag mixed frozen berries ( 300gr) 

Combine coconut milk, demerara sugar and berries in a small pot. Bring to boil on low fire. Then add the peanut butter and simmer for 2-3 min. Make sure to stir continuously as the peanut butter will stick to the bottom of the pan. 

 

To serve

Stack three pancakes on top of one another and cover with the Peanut Butterscotch sauce. Place the apples around them and add strawberries or any other berries of your choice. Or simply tear, share and dip in the sauce. 

Καλή Όρεξη 

Kosta Moutsko

Head Chef

The Hopsack 

@Kostacooks

 

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