blueberry lemon curd pancakes
Curd just sounds awful and does not do the delectable spread justice.
My mom sometimes makes homemade lemon curd. She does a pretty excellent job, homemaker extraordinaire as she is. Whenever I mention wanting to use lemon curd in a recipe she always admonishes me to try out a batch on my stovetop, but sometimes (read: all the time) laziness gets the better of it.
Listen, man, I’m all about making as much as possible from scratch, but there are times where I can admit my expertise lacks and it’s thus better to rely on the so-called pros to provide me with a needed component.
Anywhoozles, I think I scared up this concept while running one morning, or randomly at work during a dull moment during which I let my brain wander. Or a not dull moment where I let my brain wander anyway. I have a couple Valentine’s sweets stowed away in the queue for the days leading up, but didnt want to whip them out too soon. Never whip it out too soon, folks.
So, we’re enjoying weekend brunch by the name of Blueberry Lemon Curd Pancakes. We’re inching closer to berry picking season around here and sometimes the little gems go on sale in my grocery stores. A little pop of lemony goodness brightens up these soft, fluffy, charismatic flapjacks. You may need a second batch to feed those hungry, groping mouths.
An Appropriate Kind of Lemon
Not the kind you mistakenly purchase in a used car lot.
Lemon curd is pretty easily available at various grocers. I like Bonne Maman best, but Trader Joe’s sometimes carries a good version too. ‘Course, you can make like my mom and whip up your own.
Start by whisking that lemon curd with some melted butter, a touch of lemon zest, eggs, and vanilla. Then, whisk in plenty of buttermilk.
Next up: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a little salt. Mix all this until just combined – there can be a couple streaks of flour in the batter. Then, whip out your favorite rubber spatula and fold in lots of fresh or frozen blueberries. Don’t thaw the berries if you’re using them from the freezer, and be aware that as they naturally warm up they may create streaks in your batter. A bit aesthetically messier, but no less tasty.
Lumpy pancake batter is perfectly acceptable, and in fact preferable. This texture helps give the pancakes a good lift. Smooth, silky batter results in a sad and flat pancake.
Second tip for well-risen cakes: resting the batter on the counter for about 10 minutes. This pre-activates the leaveners (baking powder and soda) to plump up your pannies even more.
Wakey Wakey Pancake Bakey
I like to use my cast iron skillet to cook pancakes. To cake pancooks. Okay, ignore that diatribe. You can use any pan you’d like, though, as long as it doesn’t suck.
Melt some butter in your choice pan, then, working 1-2 at a time depending on the size of your choice vessel, plop in 1/4 cup portions of the batter. Cook until little bubbles form on the surface, then flip and finish for 1-2 minutes longer until nice and golden and fat. Repeat with all your remaining batter.
Enjoy these how you could enjoy pancakes normally. I’m a ho for butter and maple syrup – a little powdered sugar is always nice, too. Don’t forget some extra blueberries. Or do forget. Like I almost did when photographing these dudes.
Speaking of berries, you can certainly switch the bluebs out for, say, raspberries or blackberries. Still tasty and appropriate with the lemony flavoring.
Boys and girls, be sure to save this for Valentine’s Day and whatever other occasions you have this winter or spring. A sure wowza on your brunch table.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Brunch and munch:
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Chewy Spiced Sweet Potato Bagels
Marinated Tomato Basil Avocado Toast
blueberry lemon curd pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup lemon curd
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- butter, maple syrup, and/or powdered sugar, to serve
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, lemon zest, lemon curd, and vanilla extract until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk until bubbly. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula. Take care not to overmix – a lumpy batter is good!
- Let the batter rest for 10 minutes on the counter.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop in 1-2 1/4-cup portions of batter into the pan, leaving space between them. Cook until bubbles begin to form on top of the pancake, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, melting additional butter 1 tablespoon at a time if the skillet becomes too dry.
- Serve warm with butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and additional blueberries, as desired.
