A Pancake Topping Soiree
Pancakes To Die For
Most people think pancakes are the signature breakfast meal. Mention "pancakes" and it's nearly impossible not to imagine a mini-mile high stack slathered in melted butter while that sweet sensation, maple syrup, runs over the sides. Now, picture a single pancake filled with a combination of mascarpone cheese and nutella all rolled up and dusted with cocoa. Makes the ordinary pancake into a delight Caligula would die for.
Once Upon A Pancake
Pancakes are so versatile, you'd think they originated in a long ago fairy tale. Pancake topping can go from the sublime to the exotic, depending upon personal preferences and tastebuds. Here are ten ways to top your pancakes:
1. Maple syrup and chopped macadamia nut topping.
Blend the maple syrup and nuts and pour over hot pancakes
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2. Fresh fruit toppings like blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe and a dollup of whipped cream.Mix any fresh fruit with whipped cream as a colorful pancake topping.
3. Pancake topping of fruit preserves, cottage cheese or sour cream.Pancake toppings such as fruit preserves like apricot, peach, boysenberry or orange marmalade is a refreshing change from the standard syrups. For the diet conscious try cottage cheese mixed with whole fruit preserves as pancake toppings. Use sour cream with lemon or lime curd or poppyseed lekvar, a kind of filling for rolled pastries as pancake toppings.
4. For brunches, pancakes can be topped with thinly sliced ham and Swiss cheese.
5. Try apple, prune, peach or plum butters as pancake toppings that brings back memories of breakfast in Mom's kitchen.
6. For Swedish-style pancake toppings go with sour cream and smoked salmon with chopped chives.
7. For special holiday pancake toppings, there's mincemeat and the final touch, a brandied hard sauce.
8. Ice cream when used as pancake toppings can be the perfect end to a summer meal. Or, for really different pancake toppings, place a scoop or two of frosty sherbet in flavors like orange, lime, raspberry or pineapple in the center of your pancake stack.
9. Butter is a great topping for pancakes. Flavored butters are even better. Blend butter with orange marmalade for a real treat. For a more adult version of this topping flavor, blend in a little curacao or Grand Marnier liqueur.
10. Caviar and sour cream blend together to create haute cuisine-style pancake toppings.
The Pancake Topping Smorgasbord
Harried hostesses who want to make brunch as simple as possible need to think outside the "brunch box". Create a buffet style brunch or breakfast. All the cook has to do is provide stacks and stacks of pancakes and a complete assortment of "help yourself" pancake toppings. This can be crispy slices of bacon, ham or sausage. Or, it can be a little more unusual like a selection of small bits of chocolate, toffee or crushed peppermint candies. Offer a generous selection of syrups in a wide variety of flavors like blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry or apricot. There are chocolate and vanilla syrups to round out the pancake toppings menu. You might also want to offer sour cream, fresh dairy cottage cheese, pineapple rings, apple, pear or peach slices, applesauce or rum-flavored butter for your pancake toppings smorgasbord.
Health-conscious Pancake Toppings
When it comes to health, pancake toppings can be a good source of fiber when the right ingredients are chosen. For instances, try yogurt-wheat germ pancake toppings. You get fiber as well as milk cultures. Soft tofu is a good substitute for sour cream as a pancake topping. Squeeze fresh orange juice into soft tofu. Blend to a smooth texture. Instead of orange juice, try apple juice. Kefir is a kind of yogurt that is slightly less firm than regular yogurt. It makes a good healthful pancake topping and is available in vanilla, blueberry, strawberry and plain flavors. Add plain kefir to a little almond soy milk to make a smooth pancake topping.
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