For the past month or so, I’ve been stalking the fresh herb aisle of the grocery store for the packs of edible flowers that appear the with the start of the growing season. After seeing a beautiful flower-topped pancake stack on Instagram from the Aussie restaurant The Kettle Black, I was determined to try my hand at this beautiful breakfast dish.
This is one of those meals that looks infinitely more impressive than it actually is. I’m all about sleeping in on the weekends, so I start with my favorite Bob’s Red Mill 10 Grain Pancake mix plus a healthy scoop of ricotta so the pancakes get extra fluffy. I whip those up in no time, coffee in hand, and top them with layers of pretty and delicious accoutrements. A generous dollop of vanilla-infused whipped cream perfectly balances the slightly peppery flowers, while a sprinkling of sunflower seeds and pepitas add lovely crunch to the dish. Fresh, seasonal berries play wonderfully against the nutty whole grain pancakes for a dish that’s as lovely to eat as it is to look it.
Ingredients:
• your favorite whole wheat pancake mix
• 1 cup ricotta
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, plus dash more for whipped cream
• fresh fruit (I used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)
• edible flowers—you can usually find these in the fresh herb aisle of gourmet grocery stores or at your local farmers’ market)
• sunflower seeds
• pepitas
• whipping cream
• syrup
Directions:
1. Mix pancake batter with eggs, milk, ricotta and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Cook in butter in a pan or skillet.
2. Dress with seeds, fruit and flowers; top with a generous dollop of vanilla whipped cream.
3. Serve with warmed maple syrup.
