Fluffy Strawberry and Champagne Pancakes

I’m not a big New Year’s Eve person. My plans over the years have run the gamut, from staying in and doing nothing (and I mean ab-so-lutely nothing), to hanging out at a club (ha! not my scene), to renting a cabin with friends for a long weekend of lounging, day drinking, and card games. I tend to prefer the latter, as it feels social but also like it’s not a big deal. I don’t think I’ll ever go to a bar again for New Year’s Eve – I’m too introverted for that many people, my voice is too soft to even talk to anyone above the roar of the crowd, and holy crow is it expensive. No thanks.

Give me champagne, give me people I enjoy, and give me a bedtime at around 12:30. Done deal.

This year we’re going to hang out at a friend’s house to watch the ball drop. It should be pleasant, uneventful, and perfect for my need for a simple NYE.

A low-key NYE doesn’t not mean I won’t be enjoying some champagne. If it were up to me I’d order champagne regularly at restaurants, but no one wants to be that girl. You know the girl I’m talking about. Let’s not even go there.

Whatever your plans might be, you should consider kicking off 2014 with a boozy breakfast, because why not keep the celebrations going and enjoy some fluffy pancakes?

These pancakes were a distraction for me. I’ve been battling with a cookbook recipe for healthy, protein-filled pancakes for about a month. Despite several (SEVERAL) attempts, nothing has turned out well enough for me yet. That recipe is full of whole wheat, Greek yogurt, oats, and all that healthy stuff. That recipe is NOT the recipe you see here today. These pancakes happened after I was exhausted by my failed attempts, and just wanted some damn good pancakes. I consider these special occasion pancakes, because they’re filled with all kinds of slightly naughty good stuff: white flour, white sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and champagne.

Apart from the fact that champagne is delicious and decadent, the bubbles make for some fluffy, puffy, seriously perfect pancakes. I assume that any carbonated beverage would work, but why not add some bubbly? I like to CELEBRATE the start of the day, and of the YEAR, in this case. So should you.

While the champagne results in pancakes with great texture, it gives the simple strawberry sauce a nice kick. The sauce comes together quickly, and doesn’t even need to be strained. It’s fresh, tart, and a great complement to those damn good pancakes.

Happy New Year! Are you a resolution person? What are you hoping for this year?

Print Recipe

Fluffy Strawberry and Champagne Pancakes

Thick, fluffy champagne pancakes topped with smashed strawberry champagne syrup. Sweet, tart, and perfect for those "hair of the dog that bit ya" mornings. Oh hello, New Year's Day.

Yield: 9 pancakes (serves 3)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Fluffy Champagne Pancakes

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup lowfat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup champagne (I used Brut)

Smashed Strawberry Syrup

• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons champagne

Directions:

1. Whisk together the egg, milk, and oil. Set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
3. Gradually stir the milk/egg mixture into the dry ingredients just until you no longer see any dry flour. It will be a little lumpy - thats okay. Set aside for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat a griddle to 375 degrees.
5. For the syrup, combine strawberries, sugar, and orange zest , juice, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Smash strawberries and turn heat to medium. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for 10 minutes without a cover. Remove from heat and stir in the champagne.
6. As the sauce is simmering, cook the pancakes. Gently fold the champagne into the batter until it's just incorporated. Drop 1/4 cup of batter onto a greased griddle. Bake on one side until bubbles begin to form, and the edges start to firm. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden (another couple minutes). Repeat with remaining batter. The recipe will make 9 pancakes.
7. Top pancakes with warm strawberry syrup, and serve with a mimosa (if you like).

Syrup adapted from The Slow Roasted Italian.