Buttermilk Hotcakes

Ingredients (serves 4)

With Strawberry butter

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• extra melted butter, for cooking
• extra strawberries, halved, to serve

• Strawberry butter

• 80g butter, softened
• 125g strawberries, hulled, finely chopped

Method

1. Make strawberry butter: Beat butter and strawberries with a wooden spoon until combined. Form mixture into a log on a piece of foil. Roll up tightly. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Stir in sugar. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in a jug with a fork. Using a large metal spoon, stir buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients until combined.
3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat until hot. Brush base of pan with a little of the extra melted butter. Using 1/4 cup batter per hotcake, spoon 3 to 4 hotcakes into pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on surfaces. Turn. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until golden. Remove to a plate. Cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter and batter.
4. Slice strawberry log into 5mm-thick slices. Place warm hotcakes on plates. Top with strawberry butter. Serve with extra strawberries.

Ingredients (serves 4)

with apples and Cinnamon Butter

• 1kg apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• Ground cinnamon, to serve

• Cinnamon butter

• 100g butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• Buttermilk pancakes

• 2 1/2 cups (375g) self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 3 cups (750ml) buttermilk
• 80g butter, melted, cooled
• 1 egg, whisked

Method

1. Place apples, sugar, water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes or until apples are tender but still hold their shape. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. To make cinnamon butter, use electric beaters to whip butter until pale. Beat in cinnamon.
3. To make pancakes, sift flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, butter and egg. Whisk until well combined.
4. Brush two small non-stick frying pans with a little of the extra melted butter. Heat over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup of mixture to each pan. Cook for two minutes, or until bubbles appear on the surface. Carefully turn over and cook for 1 minute.
5. Transfer pancakes to a plate and wrap loosely in a clean tea towel to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing pan between each batch. If you find the pan is getting too hot, reduce heat slightly.
6. Serve pancakes with apples and cinnamon butter. Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon.

Ingredients (serves 4)

With Glazed strawberries

• 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Canola oil cooking spray

• Glazed strawberries

• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 250g fresh strawberries, hulled, thickly sliced (or halved if small)

Method

1. Place flour, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Stir to combine. Make a well in centre of flour mixture. Whisk eggs and buttermilk together in a jug. Pour egg mixture into well. Stir to combine.
2. Spray a large frying pan with oil. Heat over medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons batter into pan. Repeat to make 4 pancakes. Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles form on surface. Turn. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter to make 12 pancakes.
3. Meanwhile, make glazed strawberries: Place sugar and 2 tablespoons cold water in a frying pan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Add strawberries. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until strawberries are warmed through. Serve pancakes with glazed strawberries.

Ingredients (serves 4)

With honeyed Ricotta

• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 600ml buttermilk
• 1/3 cup low-fat milk
• 40g reduced-fat dairy spread, melted, cooled
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• olive oil cooking spray
• 300g summer fruits, such as raspberries and nectarines, to serve

• Honeyed ricotta

• 200g low-fat ricotta
• 1/4 cup natural yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons honey

Method

1. Make honeyed ricotta: Using an electric mixer, beat ricotta, yoghurt and honey until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in 2 teaspoons sugar. Whisk buttermilk, milk, dairy spread and egg in a bowl. Add to flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix until well combined. Cover and stand for 15 minutes.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spray with oil. Pour 1/3 cup batter into pan. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 3 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface. Turn over. Cook for 2 minutes or until cooked through. Wrap pancake in a clean tea towel to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing pan in between pancakes.
4. Divide pancakes between plates. Top with honeyed ricotta and fruit. Sprinkle each pancake stack with 1/2 teaspoon remaining sugar. Serve.