Strawberry Basil Compote
Delightfully bright and pleasing, basil is warm and spicy, with a distinctive aroma that goes hand-in-hand with summer. Flourishing in full sun and a moderate-dry climate, basil is easy to care for an...
Delightfully bright and pleasing, basil is warm and spicy, with a distinctive aroma that goes hand-in-hand with summer. Flourishing in full sun and a moderate-dry climate, basil is easy to care for and yields a plentiful harvest. So settle into summer, highlight basil’s bounty and relish the pleasure of cooking this easy, crowd-pleasing recipe, the perfect showcase for the all-star herb, piled high.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: Yield: 24 small or 13 large pancakes.
Basil Flapjacks
- 2 tablespoons pure cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon cardamom extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon fresh Sweet Thai Basil, finely chopped or use small leaves (This variety adds anise-clove flavor notes.)
- Strawberry Basil Compote (recipe below)
- Grape seed oil for griddle or non-stick sauté pan
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine sugar and zest, set aside.
Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper, and then add the lemon sugar to the mix.
Wet ingredients: Whisk and combine buttermilk, eggs, cardamom extract, lemon juice and butter.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, then blend in poppy seeds and basil until incorporated. Rest batter for 15 minutes.
On medium heat, add 1 teaspoon grape seed oil to a griddle or sauté pan. Add 2 tablespoons of batter onto the hot griddle and cook until pancake is bubbling on top, then flip and cook other side until golden brown on both sides. For large pancakes add 1/4 cup batter to the griddle – more grape seed oil may be needed.
To keep pancakes warm: Place pancakes on an oven-proof plate at 180° F. until ready to serve with compote.
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Basil Varieties
Basil Varieties
