Buttermilk pancakes with passion-fruit curd recipe

Diana Henry
Buttermilk pancakes with passion-fruit curd
Goes well with crème fraîche - Haarala Hamilton

This curd can be made a few days in advance. You can also serve the pancakes with bought lemon or orange curd and fresh berries.

Timings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Makes

12 pancakes

Ingredients

For the curd

  • 8 passion fruits

  • 125g caster sugar

  • 6 medium egg yolks, lightly beaten

  • 125g unsalted butter, cut into chunks

For the pancakes

  • 250g plain flour, sifted

  • 1½ tsp baking powder

  • 2 tbsp caster sugar

  • 500ml buttermilk

  • 50g unsalted butter, melted

  • 3 large eggs, 2 of them separated

  • oil or unsalted butter, for frying

  • crème fraîche, to serve

Method

  1. For the curd, halve the fruits and pulse the pulp and seeds in a food processor, then push through a sieve. Keep a third of the seeds (unless you want seedless curd); discard the rest. You will have about 115ml juice.

  2. Put the sugar and egg yolks in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until light and fluffy.

  3. Add the fruit juice and stir until combined, then add the butter a little at a time. It takes a while to make this – I allow 20 minutes – but if you try to do it over a higher heat it will curdle.

  4. The mixture should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. At this point, fill a large bowl with ice and set the bowl of curd inside to stop it cooking any further.

  5. Add the reserved seeds and leave to cool. Store in the fridge in a covered container.

  6. For the pancakes, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and a good pinch of salt in a bowl.

  7. Combine the buttermilk, butter and eggs in a jug, keeping the 2 eggs whites separate.

  8. Make a well in the dry ingredients and gradually add the liquid, whisking as you go.

  9. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

  10. Add 1 tbsp of the whites to the batter to loosen it, then fold in the rest. (You can make this the night before; keep it covered in the fridge.)

  11. Heat a very small amount of butter or oil (or a mixture) in a frying pan.

  12. Using about 4 tbsp batter per pancake, add as many pancakes as your pan will hold and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles have appeared on the top and the underneath is set and golden.

  13. Turn them over and cook until the other side is golden (about another minute). Add more butter or oil as needed. Keep cooked pancakes in a low oven.

  14. Serve with the curd and crème fraîche.

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