Double Chocolate Pancakes With Raspberry Sauce
They are just the thing to elicit oohs and ahhs: fragrant with cocoa, studded with melted chocolate chips, drizzled with a ruby-red raspberry sauce and dusted with icing sugar.
Ingredients
For the sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
For the pancakes
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup almond meal or finely ground almonds
2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat milk (1 percent)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for the pan
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark (bitter-sweet) mini chocolate chips (may substitute finely chopped dark chocolate)
1 teaspoon icing sugar, for garnish
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, for garnish
Directions
For the sauce: Combine the berries, light brown sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until most of the berries have lost their shape. Transfer to a blender; remove the centre knob in the lid so steam can escape. Place a paper towel over the top to avoid splash-ups; purée until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer. If you’re serving the sauce right away, transfer to a bowl; if not, pour into an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the pancakes: Whisk together the flour, almond meal, cocoa powder, light brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
Beat together the milk, eggs, the tablespoon of oil and the vanilla extract in a large liquid measuring cup, then pour that mixture into the flour mixture, stirring to incorporate. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Brush a large nonstick griddle or skillet with a little oil and heat it over medium heat.
Working in batches of two or three, ladle a scant 1/4 cup of the batter (per pancake) onto the hot griddle or skillet.
Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until the pancakes begin to look dry and bubbly around the edges, then flip and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes on the second side; some of the mini chips will be melted and should look set.
Stack on a plate and cover loosely to keep warm while you repeat to use all the batter, adding a bit of oil as needed for subsequent batches.
To serve, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the raspberry sauce on each plate.
Top with 2 pancakes and garnish with a sprinkling of icing sugar and some fresh raspberries.
