P-P-Pancakes (the extra p's are for p-pretzel)

Okay, okay, I know that there were promises of sea bass and melted leeks, but since I bought my ticket to France (Oh, yeah I'm going to France!), funds have been low. That said, I've been forced to try out slightly cheaper recipes. So, this week you'll have to be satisfied with Pretzel Encrusted Pancakes. FIRST, I need to point out that these were NOT my idea. I am neither that imaginative, nor that stoned. I was, however, very intrigued by them when a couple of my friends ordered them at The Bongo Room for brunch last weekend. At the time I went for the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Breakfast Burrito (and I was not disappointed), but I could not shake the idea of salty little nuggets of pretzel in my pancakes. So, instead of waiting for a couple of hours in the sub-zero Chicago weather, I opted to re-create them myself. The pancakes themselves are pretty straight forward, it was the accompanying white chocolate creme anglais and caramel sauce that presented the biggest challenges (It actually turned out not to be that challenging at all, especially since I cheated and bought caramel sauce. Oh, please--I'm so sure Bongo Room makes their own caramel sauce!). Aaaanyway, I made a batch for my parents, and fried up some bacon at my Dad's request--I don't think the pork made the beauty shots, though. Anyway, it was absolutely delicious, but I imagine this dish would be life altering after a night of hard drinking or ...ummm...other things. Anyway, pics and recipe below.

Pretzel Encrusted Pancakes With White Chocolate Creme Anglais and Caramel Sauce

CREME ANGLAIS

3/4 cups whole milk

3/4 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup finely chopped white chocolate

3 egg yolks

PANCAKES

2 cups flour

2 tbs baking soda

1 tsp iodized salt

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

2 tbs oil

2 cups crushed pretzel rods

2tbs sea salt

CREME ANGLAIS

1. Mix sugar and egg yolks together in mixing bowl until smooth and pale yellow
2. Heat milk and cream in sauce pan until simmering
3. Slowly whisk warm cream mixture into egg mixture until fully incorporated (don't add the cream too fast and don't let the cream get too hot, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs).
4. Pour egg and cream mixture back into sauce pan and stir with a wooden spoon until it passes the finger-spoon test.
5. Mix in the white chocolate until fully melted.
6. Pour into a clean bowl and refrigerate until needed.

PANCAKES

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients EXCEPT the pretzels and sea salt.
2. Whisk in eggs, milk and oil
3. Mix until smooth--NO LUMPS
4. Heat an oiled cast iron skillet on medium high
5. Using a 1/2 cup ladle, ladle batter into skillet
6. Immediately add pretzel pieces and a pinch of sea salt to the uncooked side of the pancake.
7. Flip after about 90 seconds
8. Repeat until all batter is gone.

Stack pancakes and spoon on a generous amount of creme anglais over the pancakes and crisscross with any store bought caramel sauce (Smucker's Sugar Free worked perfectly for me).

Turkey Test Run

Now that it's nearly Christmas, I figured I'd finally post some pics from my sister's (the chef) Turkey Test Run Dinner. The whole thing came into fruition when my cousins in Michigan volunteered to host Thanksgiving out there. That said, Brittny offered to make sides, but still needed sate her chefly desire to cook a perfect holiday bird. So she cooked twice the sides and appetizers (some for Michigan, some to accompany her turkey) and invited the immediate family over to sample everything early. Some of the main players included, baked homemade ricotta with a lemony, garlicky olive tapanade, mashed potatoes, baked mac and cheese (my Mom actually made this dish), and my personal favorite, creamed spinach with roasted parsnips. Mmmmm... I can't take too much credit for anything that went out, but I can take credit for photographing it, writing about it, but most importantly eating it.

Baked Ricotta

Heaven in Progress

The Bird

Note: We enjoyed the much anticipated butternut squash, thyme and goat cheese in pastry puff canapes on the actual holiday. They were so freaking good and fairly simple.

Brittny's Butternut Squash Canapes with Caramelized Shallots and Goat Cheese

1 medium butternut squash
3 cloves of garlic
4 shallots
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 pkg puff pastry
1 tube goat cheese
1 egg
olive oil
sea salt
white pepper

1. Roast squash until fork tender, but still firm enough to peel and chop. Let cool
2. Sautee garlic over medium heat, add shallots when garlic becomes fragrant cook until sweet and translucent, add chopped thyme just before removing from heat. Set aside
3. After squash is cooled, remove the skin and chop into a small (1/4 inch) dice.
4. Mix squash into shallot mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Cut puff pastry into 1 inch rounds using a cookie cutter
6. Spoon 1/2 table spoon of the mixture onto the puff pastry and pinch the edges to create a ridge to keep the filling in.
7. Balance a teaspoon of goat cheese on top of the canape.
8. Bake at 375 degrees until pastry is cooked through and cheese is slightly browned.
9. Serve immediately

These are really good with a good crisp white, like a sauv blanc.