Pancake Week #7 Hazelnut Pancakes with Raspberry Coulis

Well here is Pancake Week's final, and possibly best, recipe. There are pulverized hazelnuts, lots of them. Nutmeg, one of my favorites. And I think the special secret is the browned butter, adding that rich toasty taste you can't get any other way.

As for the Raspberry Coulis (coulis just means a thick pureed sauce), I could just eat it with a spoon. I added extra sugar but just make it to your taste. It is cool and tart in contrast to the warm sweet pancakes, and together they are divine. I love the suggestion at the end to serve with chocolate and creme fraiche as well - because these pancakes, and anyone who makes them, deserve the very best. Happy Pancake Week!

Hazelnut Pancakes (print recipe)
4 T unsalted butter
1/2 cup hazelnuts, skinned*
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Dash of salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Continue cooking, keeping a watchful eye on the pan, until the butter turns a deep, dark, nutty brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. The butter should become very brown and there will be some solid bits in the pan - that's OK - but you must not let it burn. Set the pan aside.

2. Put the hazelnuts and sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process to pulverize the nuts. Don't worry if small bits of nuts remain - it's better to have a few crunchy pieces of nut than to turn the mass into hazelnut butter, which is what you'll get if you process the mixture too long. Transfer the nuts and sugar to a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt, and whisk to combine.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, extracts and brown butter, scraping the dark bits from the bottom of the pan into the bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix with the whisk, stopping when everything is just combined. Don't worry if batter is a bit lumpy.

4. If necessary, lightly butter or spray your griddle or skillet. Preheat over medium heat or 350. If you want to hold the pancakes until serving time, preheat oven to 200.

5. Spoon 2 T batter onto griddle for each pancake, allowing ample space for spreading. When the undersides are very brown and the tops are lightly speckled with bubbles that pop and stay open, flip the pancakes over with a wide spatula and cook until the other sides are light brown. Serve immediately, or keep the finished pancakes in the preheated oven while you make the rest of the batch. Makes about 15 pancakes.

*Skinning hazelnuts: Toast them in a skillet over medium-low or on a baking sheet in a 350 oven for a few minutes, until fragrant and the skins start to crack. You will both see and hear them crackling. Then pour them onto half of a clean textured dishtowel (terry cloth or waffle weave are good.) Fold the other half of the towel over the nuts and rub them - the cracked skins will flake/rub off pretty easily.

Raspberry Coulis
1/2 pint (about 1 1/4 cups) fresh or unthawed frozen unsweetened raspberries
2 T sugar, or more to taste
1 tsp fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2 tsp orange juice or orange liqueur

Puree the berries with the sugar and lemon juice in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Taste and add more sugar and/or lemon juice if needed. Add the orange juice. Pour into a covered container and chill until ready to serve. Can be made up to 1 day in advance.

To Serve:
Serve Hazelnut Pancakes hot off the griddle simply with a drizzle of Raspberry Coulis
- OR -
Spread each pancake with a little melted bittersweet chocolate and a spoonful of lightly sweetened Creme Fraiche. Add a drizzle of Raspberry Coulis and a shower of finely chopped toasted hazelnuts.

Recipe from Pancakes: from Morning to Midnight by Dorie Greenspan