Beer Pancakes

There’s an old saying: “Beer, so much more than a breakfast drink.” Well, that is true too for beer pancakes. Sure, these would make wonderful centerpieces for a weekend brunch, but they’re also just as appropriate served for dessert or as a special “breakfast for dinner.”

Triple Chocolate Stout Pancakes
What could be better than more chocolate? Chocolate with bacon, perhaps? These pancakes are packed with chocolate, but for a cool twist, add cooked, smoked, chopped-up bacon in with the chocolate chips to make a Salted Smoked Bacon Chocolate Stout Pancake.

Serves: 6 guests, making about 16 pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp chocolate malt, powdered
2 tbsp buttermilk powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 each eggs, large, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
12 oz Chocolate Stout, such as Bison Organic Chocolate Stout or Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
2 tbsp butter, unsalted, melted
1 cup chocolate, dark, chopped into chunks or chips
5–6 strips bacon, smoked, cooked and chopped (optional)

Directions:
In a large bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, chocolate malt powder, buttermilk powder, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk, blend together until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.

In another bowl, add the eggs and sugar, whisking together until the color turns a pale yellow, about 2–3 minutes. Add in the Stout and melted butter, mixing just to combine. Pour the flour mixture on top and fold in, leaving a few lumps of flour and not over-mixing the batter, making the pancakes tough.

Heat a griddle or sauté pan to 375°F. Using either reserved bacon fat or butter, add a little onto the griddle. Using a ladle, add about a half-cup of batter to the griddle. Space the pancakes about 2 inches apart, accounting for the spread factor. Sprinkle each pancake with some of the chopped chocolate (and bacon, if using). When the bubbles on the surface of the pancakes start to pop and the edge of the pancake is slightly dry, after about 2 1/2 minutes, flip with a spatula. Cook until golden on the bottom, about 1-2 minutes.

Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heat-proof plate in an oven set to 200˚F. Serve with warm maple syrup and whipping cream (which could be lightly sweetened with malt powder).

Angel Food Pancakes
The texture of angel food cake provides a great platform for other flavors to build off of. These pancakes are light and airy, with a hint of citrus, which compliments the Strawberry Blonde Sauce and the rich La Chouffe Bière Curd—a delightful play on the berries and cake idea for brunch.

Serves: 4–6 guests (about 16 pancakes)

Strawberry Blonde Sauce Ingredients:
2 pints strawberries, preferably organic and deep red in color, stems removed
1 cup La Chouffe Bière Blonde
2 tbsp honey, wild
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 pinch kosher salt

Strawberry Blonde Sauce Directions:
In a medium-size saucepan, over medium heat, add the strawberries (hulled and quartered), Blonde Ale, honey, powdered sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and let cook for about 8–10 minutes. A syrup will form, leaving the strawberries mostly intact. Remove from the heat and let sit while the rest of the ingredients are prepared. Any leftover sauce should be refrigerated—it goes great over yogurt and granola.

La Chouffe Bière Curd Ingredients:
6 each egg yolks, jumbo
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup La Chouffe Bière Blonde
1 pinch kosher salt
2 oz unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (half-stick)

La Chouffe Bière Curd Directions:
In a metal bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar, beer and salt. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, creating a double boiler. Using a whisk, blend the ingredients until thoroughly mixed and continue to stir, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl for about 8 minutes, or until the mixture comes to 168˚F and has the consistency of yogurt or pudding. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the cold, cubed butter, until it is incorporated. Transfer the curd to a sterile pint jar. The curd will last several weeks in the refrigerator and is great over these pancakes, but can also be used with fruit, layered in a trifle or spread on a biscuit.

Angel Food Pancake Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp coriander, ground
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup La Chouffe Bière Blonde
6 each egg whites, jumbo, room temperature
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup almond slices, toasted

Angel Food Pancake Directions:
Place a large sieve or flour sifter over a large bowl and add the cake flour, rice flour, sugar, baking powder, coriander, and salt. Sift all the ingredients together and then, using a whisk, stir to blend all the dry ingredients well. Measure out the beer and set aside.

In a large bowl, preferably copper, add the room-temperature egg whites, making sure there is no yolk present. Add the cream of tartar and, using a balloon whisk, beat the egg whites to a stiff peak, about 3–4 minutes. Set aside. Now, take the flour mixture and add the beer to it, along with half of the beaten egg whites, and mix to combine. Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites, keeping as much of the air in the pancake mixture as possible.

To cook the Angel Food Pancakes, preheat a griddle to 300˚F. Lightly coat the surface with a non-stick spray, and add 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake. Cook until the tiny bubbles start to pop, about 4–5 minutes, then flip and cook another 2–3 minutes. Place the cooked pancakes into a preheated 200˚F oven until all the pancakes are made.

To serve the Angel Food Pancakes, layer each with some of the La Chouffe Bière Curd, stacking three high, then top with some of the Strawberry Blonde Sauce and garnish with some toasted almond slices. Serve immediately.

Westmalle Dubbel Duck Confit Pancake
These pancakes topped with Quad dried-fruit compote and maple syrup blur the line between sweet and savory. With the pancake being more like a French blini, and the addition of duck fat instead of butter, these pancakes are a perfect brunch or dinner option.

Serves: 4–6 guests

Quad Dried-Fruit Compote Ingredients:
375 mL Rochefort 10, Chimay Blue or other Quadruple-style Belgian ale
1 cup prunes, pitted and halved
1 cup figs, dried, stems removed and cut in quarters
1 cup cherries, dried
2 tbsp honey, wild
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp cinnamon, Ceylon
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Quad Dried-Fruit Compote Directions:
In a medium-size pot, add the ale, leaving behind any yeast sediment in the bottle. Add in the prunes, figs, cherries, honey, orange zest, cinnamon and salt, placing over medium heat. Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, letting the mixture simmer for 10–13 minutes. The ale should reduce to about half, and the dried fruit should be plump.

Carefully transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse several times, chopping the fruit, creating a paste-like consistency, but with a few smaller chunks to add texture to the compote. Place into a sealable quart-size jar and serve with the Westmalle Dubbel Duck Confit Pancakes or alongside a cheese and charcuterie platter. Extra compote can be refrigerated for up to about two months.

Duck Confit Pancake Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp flaxseed meal, ground
1/2 tsp cinnamon, Ceylon
1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 each eggs, large, room temperature
1/2 cup duck fat, rendered, available at specialty stores or ask your butcher
375 mL Westmalle Dubbel or other Dubbel/Abbey-style Belgian ale
2–3 each duck confit legs, available at specialty stores or ask your butcher
1 cup maple syurp, grade B, warmed

Duck Confit Pancake Directions:
Place a flour sifter or large sieve over a large bowl and add the flours, corn starch, brown sugar, baking powder, flax, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Sift the ingredients together.

In a medium-size bowl, add the eggs and whisk until pale in color, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the lightly warmed duck fat into the eggs, making almost a mayonnaise. Add in the beer (along with any yeast sediment) and just stir to combine, keeping as much of the carbonation as possible. This will result in a lighter pancake. Pour the flour mixture into the egg, fat, and beer mixture and fold together, leaving a few lumps in the batter. Let sit for 15 minutes.

To cook, heat a griddle to 375°F. Using some more duck fat or butter, add a little onto the griddle to prevent sticking. Using a ladle, add about a half-cup of batter to the griddle. Space the pancakes about 2 inches apart, accounting for the spread factor. After a minute, sprinkle each pancake with a few shredded pieces of duck confit, as one would with blueberries or chocolate chips. When the bubbles on top of the pancakes start to pop and the edge of the pancake is slightly dry, after about 2 1/2 minutes, flip with a spatula. Cook until golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes.

Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heat-proof plate in an oven set to 200˚F. To serve, fan out three pancakes like a deck of cards. Add three dollops of the Quad Dried-Fruit Compote and drizzle with the warm maple syrup. ■