Jamaica meets the USA. Thick, fluffy American pancakes are one of the greatest joys in life, so why not combine them with some zesty tropical flavours? These pancakes are perfect for this time of year, when the UK weather is getting miserable, summer is nearly over and everyone is craving for that last bit of sun. The combination of coconut, mango and lime gives a tropical sunny burst of flavour and can instantly brighten your morning. I like to have this as a brunch, but equally this would be a great dessert. The buttermilk in the recipe is key to make the pancakes have that distinctive American quality about them.

Ingredients: (serves 2- makes 4 large pancakes, or 6 smaller ones)

• 95g plain flour
• 1 tbsp caster sugar (I don’t like the actual pancakes very sweet as you get sweetness from the mango and coconut yoghurt, but if you want them sweeter add 2-3 tbsp sugar)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp butter, melted in the microwave
• 150ml buttermilk ( you can get this from all major supermarkets). If you don’t have it just use 100ml of regular milk.
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut, plus more for decoration
• Coconut oil spray (I used Frylight)
• A few spoons of coconut yoghurt (I tried to find a sugar free one, but could not, so just used Rachel’s– had the lowest sugar)
• 1 mango, diced ( I just brought pre cut mango)
• Sprinkle of toasted coconut chips (I used Urban Fruit)
• 1 lime- grate the zest of half of it, and cut the other half into wedges

Method:

1. Mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder with some salt.
2. Make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, butter and buttermilk.
3. Whisk together until you have a thick batter. Add the desiccated coconut and mix again.
4. Heat a flat pan on the hob- medium heat. Spray the coconut oil a few times.
5. I use an ice cream scoop for quantity. I used 2 scoops of the mixture for each pancake, but if you want, you can use 1 scoop each and make them smaller pancakes. Smooth over the top to make sure they are a rounded shape and leave for a few minutes, until you can easily place a spatula under the pancake.
6. Flip the pancake and cook the other side. Both sides should have a nice golden brown colour. If they are too pale, then continue to cook them on both sides.
7. Stack up the pancakes onto a plate.
8. Dollop on the yoghurt and add the cubed mango, coconut chips, lime zest and desiccated coconut. Serve with a lime wedge.
9. Drizzle some maple syrup for added sweetness, if desired.

   

Enjoy! X