Lemon Zest and Ginger Pancakes

Blueberry, Ginger, Basil and Lemon; flavors that at first glance may seem like they’re intended for a savory dish but with the right composition they are perfect flavors for these light yet flavorful pancakes.

This recipe uses premade Buttermilk Krusteaz Pancake mix. I can and do make my own pancake batter for clients but at home I like to keep a box of this mix on hand. It comes out perfect every time, and on the special occasion that I wake up craving pancakes I don’t have to scramble getting all the ingredients together and then waiting half an hour for the batter to set. By that time, I don’t even want pancakes anymore! The mix is also a great go-to when you have expected or unexpected visitors and you don’t feel like going out for breakfast. This is 100% not a sponsored ad, it’s just a brand I love and always recommend. 

Lemon Zest & Ginger Pancakes with Macerated Blueberries & Fresh Basil

Prep: 5 Min | Cook: 5 Minutes | Servings: (6-7 pancakes)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix 

• ⅔ cup water

• 1 Tb grated ginger

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2 cups fresh blueberries 

• 1 Tb sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt, divided 

• 2 Tb fresh basil, chiffonade cut 

• ¼ cup butter, sliced thin into 7-8 slices 

• Maple syrup (as much as you like, pure is the best)

Directions:

1. In a bowl add water, pancake mix, ginger, ¼ tsp salt, and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth, don’t over mix. Let stand for 2 minutes.

2. In another bowl, add blueberries, lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt, and ¾ of your basil (save the rest for garnish), and sugar. Stir to ensure everything is well coated and set aside. 

3. Heat a nonstick or well seasoned pan over medium heat (adjust depending on the strength of your flame; you need a steady heat to get the same color on each pancake)

4. Add a butter slice to the pan and swirl around the pan to ensure an even coating. Using a 2 oz ladle or whatever you have on hand to ensure an even distribution of the batter, pour into the pan (I did one at a time because of the size of my pan) and cook for 1 to 1.5 minutes on each side. You’ll know it’s time to flip when the batter facing up is bubbly throughout. Adjust your heat if the pancakes are cooking too fast or too slow, and you need to adjust throughout your cooking to ensure a consistent heat. 

5. Repeat the above until the batter is done. 

6. Stack cooked pancakes on top of each other to ensure they remain warm. 

7. Serve with blueberry mix, a sprinkle of fresh basil, and maple syrup to taste.

Pastelillos de Guayaba Y Queso

Guava and Cream Cheese …..a variation of this dish exists in many cultures but I’ve grown up eating them in Puerto Rico or from my local Cuban bakery shop when I was in L.A. They’re as complicated as you want to make them, but my suggestion is keep a package of puff pastry in your freezer and bust this recipe out whenever you need to take a dish to someone’s house. 

If you have the time, patience, and arm strength I recommend trying this recipe with your own homemade puff pastry. If that seems like a lot, don’t worry because  when it comes to this dish I’ve never gone that far down the “made from scratch” rabbit hole either. I think it is perfectly acceptable to use store bought ingredients when making this dish. If you want to get fancy with it, change up the guava for another fruit paste or for some homemade jams or chutneys you have on hand. Or,  change up the cream cheese and go for a fancy queso fresco or Queso del País

Pastelillos de Guayaba Y Queso

Prep: 15 Min | Cook: 1 Hour 15 Minutes | Servings: 16

Ingredients:

• 1 package puff pastry (I like to use Pepperidge Farm)

• 1 egg

• 1 Tb milk 

• 1 tsp flour or cornstarch

• 7 oz guava paste ( I like to use Goya)

• 6 oz cream cheese

• 2-5 Tb confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)

• ½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Defrost the puff pastry. Don’t over defrost, you want the puff pastry to be malleable but not completely room temperature (about 20-30 minutes).

2. When pastry is thawed, set oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay one sheet of puff pastry on it flat. Visually or with the back of a butter knife, make a 4x4 grid on the sheet. Spread the cream cheese and guava evenly across the squares in the grid, leaving a 1 inch space around the filling. Do you spread it like peanut butter? No, you can get away with just cutting pieces of cream cheese and pieces of guava and stacking them on top of each other. 

3. Top with the second sheet of puff pastry and cut your 4x4 grid into 16 pieces. You can use a butter knife, a pizza cutter, a bench scraper…whatever helps you get the job done. 

4. Use a fork to crimp the edges around each of your 16 pieces. Spread the pieces apart slightly so they’re not touching each other while they bake. If your puff pastry is too warm (very soft and at room temperature) I recommend popping the entire baking sheet into the freezer for 5-15 minutes. The cold is what activates the fluffy layers while baking.

5. In a small bowl whisk together flour or cornstarch with milk and then whisk in the egg. The flour/cornstarch is not vital but it will help give your pastries a shine. Also don’t skip whisking the flour and milk first and THEN the egg, you don’t want lumps.

6. Using a pastry brush or whatever you have on hand, brush the tops of your puff pastry evenly with the egg wash. 

7. Bake for 20 minutes or until fully browned and puffed. 

8. Allow to cool 10 minutes before eating (unless you like eating lava) and sprinkle with powdered sugar for an extra flare. 

***If you’d like to make these ahead of time, you can prep them all the way through to step 4. Pop them in the freezer on the tray for about 2 hours then individually wrap them in plastic, throw them all together into a freezer safe bag, or just keep them on the tray (if you plan on baking them the same day). When you’re ready to bake, give them the egg-wash and move forward in the directions.