Apple Cider Pancakes with Walnut Compote
Buttermilk pancakes are a staple at the Inn at Shelburne Farms, but this recipe for rich apple cider pancakes served with a sweet-crunchy walnut compote offers a great opportunity to use some of the region’s finest local products.
Apple Cider Pancakes with Walnut Compote
Photo Credit : Brian Samuels | Food and Prop Styling by Catrine KeltyA 1,400-acre National Historic Landmark situated on Lake Champlain, Shelburne Farms encompasses a working farm and nonprofit education center, a cheese-making operation, and a seasonal inn whose highly regarded restaurant showcases many ingredients grown right here. Buttermilk pancakes are a staple on the restaurant’s breakfast menu, but chef Jim McCarthy likes to experiment with other types of pancakes as well, including these rich apple cider pancakes served with a sweet-crunchy walnut compote. “These pancakes are such a great opportunity to use the amazing maple syrup and apple cider that are produced locally,” McCarthy says.
Yield:
about 24 pancakes (about 6 servings)For the compote
Ingredients
4 cups apple cider
½ cup maple syrup
1 cup walnut pieces, toasted
½ cup dried currants
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
First, make the compote: In a small saucepan, boil the cider and syrup until only about ¼ of the liquid remains, 20 to 30 minutes (you can begin making pancakes during this time). Turn off the heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 175°. Next, make the pancakes:
For the pancakes
Ingredients
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
2 ½ cups apple cider
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
3 large red-skinned apples, cored and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
Instructions
Stir dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and cider. Pour the wet mix into the dry with 3 tablespoons melted butter, and stir gently with a rubber spatula. Ingredients should be just combined (batter should be a bit lumpy).
Heat a little butter on a griddle or two nonstick pans over medium-low heat. Add a scant 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake, and cook until the pancakes are set at the edges and bubbling on top, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the batter is set, about 1 minute. Move the finished cakes to the oven to keep warm.
When all the pancakes are cooked, put about 1 tablespoon of butter into each pan, set them over medium-high heat, and divide the apple slices between them. Sauté the apples until tender and golden brown at the edges, about 6 minutes. Serve pancakes topped with some apples and compote.
