Ingredients
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon almond meal
- pinch salt
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- butter
- rind of 1 orange
- cream to serve
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, almond meal and salt.
- Add in the milk and egg and mix until the batter just come together and the streaks of flour have disappeared.
- Add in the chocolate chips and orange rind and stir briefly to incorporate.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add a small knob of butter and swirl the pan to coat.
- Add a ¼ cup of batter to the pan at a time. Try not to overcrowd the pan.
- Give the pancakes 1-2 minutes to cook and then flip to cook the other side. The pancakes will start to bubble when its time to flip them.
- Repeat the process to cook the rest of the batter, adding more butter to the pan between cooking each batch of pancakes.
- Serve with cream or icecream.
Who doesn’t like a good pancake? I’m sure you would agree that warm pancakes fresh from the pan are one of the tastiest things out there. What makes pancakes even more appealing for me, is that pancakes are cheap to make, and it really is hard to stuff them up. These orange choc chip pancakes take everything that is great about a standard pancakes and then takes them to another level.
When I first learnt to make pancakes, I learnt a simple ratio that I have used for many years – 1 cup of self raising flour, 1 cup of milk and 1 egg. To this day I still use this ratio on occasion. However, if you want to elevate pancakes, then the addition of a few other ingredients can make an ordinary pancake become extraordinary.
Making the Choc Chip Pancakes
I’ve used the ratios supplied in the recipe many times and I have always had great success. The key to the recipe is to start with the batter, and then add the choc chips and orange rind. Ensure you don’t over-mix the pancake batter. Over-mixed batter tends to lead to tough and chewy pancakes, not the soft fluffy texture that we want.
Start with a large mixing bowl and to it the self raising flour, almond meal, salt and sugar. Next, add in the egg and milk and stir until everything is just combined.
Lastly, add in the chocolate chips and orange zest and stir until just incorporated into the mixture. A kitchen rasp is great for removing the zest from the orange.
Cooking the Choc Chip Pancakes
When it comes to cooking the pancakes, they are best cooked in small batches over a medium heat, ensuring you don’t overcrowd the pan. If the heat is too high, your pancakes will burn on the outside but still be raw in the middle. Between cooking each batch, add a knob of butter to the pan and give it a swirl. If you have a great non-stick pan, you could probably skip the butter. Personally, I find the butter helps create a crispy exterior on the pancake and improves the flavor.
A low oven temperature can be used to keep the pancakes warm as you finish cooking the rest of the batter.
Serving the Pancakes
These pancakes have an amazing flavor on their own, so I usually recommend keeping the pancakes fairly simple when serving. Serve the pancakes as a stack with a generous dollop of cream on top. Follow this with a drizzle of chocolate sauce over everything to finish.
An orange syrup over the pancakes is another option for serving that tastes amazing. The recipe makes about 8 small pancakes.
