Pink Strawberry Pancakes

Our family LOVES The EKKA (Royal Queensland Show) — you can read more about it in my review post from 2016 here. One of my favourite things — after the Strawberry Sundae; proceeds support The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation — is exploring the various different pavilions with animals, stalls and food. The Woolworths Pavilion (because food) is always on the must-visit list, and we went to one of the Woolies Fresh Market Kitchen shows. I was stoked when my favourite fruit was the hero of this show — strawberries.

Rupert Raineri — Australian actor (featured in various films and television programs, including Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) and presenter for Woolworths — demonstrated how to make strawberry pancakes. We got to try them too!

I liked how there was also a focus on the farmers that produce the foods that we eat. We met farmers from Skybury, The Avolution Avocados, and Delite Mandarins.

I thought I would give the strawberry pancakes a go myself at home because strawberries are in season now. You can find the recipe here, or I have included it below with a few of my own notes/variations. My favourite thing is the strawberry sauce for the pancakes. It’s so easy to make, and includes maple syrup rather than sugar (so a healthier option). I use the 100% pure maple syrup, not the flavoured syrup.

Ingredients

• 2 strawberry punnets*
• 1/2 cup maple syrup*
• 1 tbs cornflour*
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 tbs lemon juice*
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 1/4 tbs bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tbs ground cinnamon
• 30g butter, melted
• Strawberry yoghurt, to serve (optional)

Note: * mark the ingredients used for the strawberry topping.
My kids were not fans of the yoghurt as a side but I loved it! Cream could be another topping idea.

Instructions

1. Using the first punnet, remove the green tops and dice finely. This will be used for the sauce. I like chunky topping so did this roughly. Place the strawberries in a saucepan and add the maple syrup. Over medium heat, bring to the boil.

2. Combine cornflour and 1 tbs water in a small bowl and stir into strawberry mixture and boil for 1 minute or until thickened.

3. Stir in lemon juice and transfer to a jug. Set aside to cool. That’s the sauce done — so easy and delicious! This is great for all kinds of toppings — cakes, icecream, yoghurt — and a good way to use strawberries up.

4. With the second punnet of strawberries, trim the green top and roughly cut.

5. Puree remaining strawberries in a food processor or Thermomix.

6. Then add lemon zest, SR flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, milk, egg and cinnamon.

7. Process for 30 seconds in a food processor, or about 10 seconds on 8 in a Thermomix, until a smooth, thick batter forms.

8. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Wait until the pan is heated and then brush the pan with butter. Pour the batter to the desired size for each pancake. Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn and cook for 1 minute or until cooked through. Repeat with remaining butter and batter to make 12 approximately pancakes (depending on how large you make them).

9. Stack pancakes and serve with the strawberry syrup sauce and extra strawberries. Optional, add yoghurt or cream. My kid also like a little butter spread over the pancakes before we put the sauce on. YUM!

More

• Behind the scenes of a Queensland Strawberry Farm
• Strawberry recipes
• If you have a lot of strawberries, try and make roll-ups treats for the lunch box.