If you know me, you know that I am a fan of big Sunday morning breakfasts. I know tons of people who love to do weekend brunches, and in the past that used to be me. But after my favourite restaurant closed down (R.I.P Corbeaux) I find brunch and breakfast places in my city to be way too expensive and not worth it at all.
I think that brunch and all the delicious breakfast goodies associated with this feast, is not something you can mess up. I mean it is not that hard to make some pancakes or eggs. Yet every time I decide today’s the day I will try the latest breakfast hotspot in my city – I am left feeling thoroughly disappointed. My eggs end up dry or over salted, the pancakes (or waffles) are cold and flavourless, and the pumpkin spice latte I ordered tasted like dish soap.
I know, I know, you probably think I am incredibly high maintenance and picky. And you are right. I am 🙂 Because when you are running a business and charging people exorbitant prices for your food items, it better damn well be worth it. And besides, there is nothing wrong with having high standards.
Now with that being said, I am a firm believer of trying your hand at doing things yourself at least once. If you fail then oh well – you can always end up going to that breakfast place or favourite restaurant for them to make the meal. That is why I haven’t made croissants yet, or posted a macaron recipe. I haven’t perfected it, it’s too much work, and I would rather have someone else do it. However, when it comes to breakfast (or brunch) I can assure you I have this down to an art.
My recipe for Lemon Mascarpone Pancakes is the easiest, tastiest and absolute perfect brunch item to add to your next Sunday morning feast. Although these pancakes are absolutely divine by themselves, I serve them with a berry compote and my chocolate mascarpone whip cream. Once you make this, you will never ever need to go to another brunch spot ever again!)
ADD SOME MASCARPONE AND WHIP IT ALL UP
I know, this all sounds like a mascarpone overdose. And I will tell you why. I had a huge tin of this leftover from when I made my strawberry mascarpone tart with a port glaze. As you can see I am a bit of a fanatic for this cheese. Mainly because it is such a diverse cheese to work with. And you can use it in so many baked goods.
Anyways, I had about half the tin left and I really needed to use it up. Now normally, I make lemon ricotta pancakes but I thought, what would happen if I substitute mascarpone cheese instead?
The end result? Absolute deliciousness. Seriously, I think I like this recipe more than the ricotta one. I find that the mascarpone cheese adds this creaminess to the pancakes, and I have increased the amount of sugar in the recipe so that the tartness of the berry compote offers a subtle overall balance.
Now I am not saying you shouldn’t serve the pancakes with maple syrup – because you should. However, it is nice to have a pancake recipe where the pancake really stands out and the addition of compote and whip cream serves to enhance the flavour, not act as the flavour.
I personally like my pancakes to be more lemony in flavour. That is why, in addition to the zest, I add some lemon juice to the mixture.
Finally, this recipe makes for about 12 medium sized pancakes. You can easily freeze the cooked (but cooled) pancakes for later, or just half the recipe if you do not want too many pancakes. However, if you are the type of person who doesn’t want too many pancakes then you can just get off my blog. JK. JK. But still …. 😉
LEMON MASCARPONE PANCAKES WITH BERRY COMPOTE
Lemon Mascarpone Pancakes with Berry Compote
These pancakes are creamy and sweet, with the added zest of lemon for a nice citrusy touch. The tart berry compote, balances these pancakes perfectly. Serve with chocolate mascarpone whip cream and maple syrup!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 large egg (separated)
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 2/3 cup mascarpone cheese (room temperature, softened)
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Berry Compote
- 1/2 cup strawberries (sliced)
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 lemon (for the juice)
- 2 tsp sugar (more to taste)
Instructions
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In a small bowl, using a hand mixer beat the egg whites until it forms stiff peaks, set aside for later. In a medium sized bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together including the lemon zest. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whist together the egg yolks, milk, vegetable oil, lemon juice and mascarpone cheese. Combine until almost all the mascarpone cheese has been mixed. Add in the vanilla extract.
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Slowly fold in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, mixing until just barely combined. There should be some lumps and streaks of flour. Gently add the egg whites, and fold until combined, and there are no lumps of egg whites left.
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In a medium sized non-stick skillet, dab a bit of oil to the pan (you do not need a lot), on low heat. Using the 1/4 measuring cup, spoon 1/4 of the batter onto the skillet. Cook one on side, flipping when you begin to see little bubbles/holes on the top of the batter. Flip, and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes or until it is nice and brown. Serve immediately.
Berry Compote
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In a bowl, combine all the ingredients together and let sit for 15 minutes so that the juices form, before serving.
Recipe Notes
Chocolate Mascarpone Whip Cream
Check out my recipe here to make chocolate mascarpone whip cream. Feel free to half this recipe to make enough for this pancake recipe here. The whip cream will keep in your fridge for up to 3 days, but make sure it is well covered.
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I think that these Lemon mascarpone pancakes are incredibly tender and delicious. I love indulging in weekend breakfasts so I think that the addition of chocolate mascarpone whip cream and a berry compote is the type of indulgence you need on a Sunday morning. If you are looking for more Sunday breakfast inspirations, check out my link for crispy brown buttermilk waffles and baked blueberry french toast. These are bound to make you look forward to all the Sunday’s in the world!
