Fruit, Pickles & Conserves

Blueberry Everything, part II: American Pancakes & Spiked Jam

by Heidi

 

 

Fifty-odd years after my last post I think it’s about bloody time I finish what I started in my blueberry post of yesteryear. Because that certainly wasn’t all. On the next day, still at the summerhouse in Småland, Sweden, we couldn’t help it. We just had to go out for at liiittle more picking. And again, the bug caught us and we picked at the speed of lightening (or Superman or whatever you can relate to that is really really fast). So before we knew it, there were about 750 grams of tiny delicious berries in our bowl. And this is what I did to them: 
American-Style Pancakes (~five 13-15 cm wide pancakes)
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla sugar
  • 115 grams of flour
  • 1 1/2 decilitres of milk
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 decilitre blueberries (frozen is actually better if you don’t want them too crushed)

Break the egg into a bowl and beat it together. Mix in the sugar and vanilla sugar and then sift in the flour gradually.  Then add the milk and finally the baking powder, so it doesn’t start working too soon. Leave to set for 15-20 mins. When the batter is done, add the blueberries and mix them in gently. Put a 13-15 cm wide pan on the heat and add a small knob of butter. When it has melted, pour in the batter until the surface is covered. Let it cook until you see the bubbles coming through to the surface and turn it over. Cook the other side until it is golden brown and put it on a hot plate (rinse it in hot water and dry it or put it in the oven on 50 degrees Celcius. Cover it lightly so the steam can get out and continue until all of your pancakes are done. Serve hot with a bit of icing sugar on top and enjoy them with a light syrup and this jam:

Spiked Blueberry Jam

  • 3 decilitres of blueberries
  • 3-4 tbsp light cane sugar
  • 1 dl water
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest and a bit of lemon juice (optional)
  • A splash of rhum

Take a small saucepan and add berries, water,  sugar and lemon zest/juice (if you want). Let it simmer with the lid on and on low heat for 15-20 mins, always checking the water level. You might have to add some more water as you go, so the berries don’t burst too much and end up too sticky. When they are done, you can add a little more water if you like the “jam” to run down the sides of the pancakes. Finally, add a splash of good rhum – it makes a world of difference. And now you’re done and can sit down for a slow breakfast or a lazy afternoon. The recipe for the jam is aimed at this sole pancake purpose, but if you want it to keep for a long time, remember to scald the jar before use (I always do that anyway and find that it preserves the jam or pickles or whatever very well on its own) and maybe even add some preservatives or some more sugar.