Baked Blackberry and Lemon Crisp Pancake

Last week I posted a recipe on Baked Blackberry and Lemon Pancakes along with a little story about the adorable girls who inspired it.  I thought the pancakes were scrumptious – and considering I ate the entire batch myself over three days, I hope you can trust me on that.

But I wanted a richer lemon taste and an even easier process.  So today, at my father’s house in CT where I don’t quite have my baking arsenal on me, I took on this quest.  And I think I conquered.

The challenge: no alternative sugars, so in this case I did use white sugar – it’s all I had – but there’s still only a trivial amount.  Also, my dad doesn’t have a saucepan that can go from stove to oven, so I opted for a Pyrex baking dish.

I increased the amount of lemon dramatically and added the zest of the lemon itself.  18 minutes in a 400 degree oven and it was good to go – and a triumph!

From the first bite to the last, you get an undercurrent of tangy lemon and the sweetness of blackberries amidst a cornmeal-like pancake.  The drizzled lemon and sugar gives the top a sweet and crunchy crust.  A tiny drizzle of pure maple syrup and you’re good to go with a treat perfect for a Sunday family breakfast or a brunch with your lucky sweetheart.

Prepare:

• Rinse and dry 1 1/5 cups of blackberries.
• Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
• Spray an 8 X 11.5 inch baking pan (I used Pyrex) with non-stick pray or melted butter

In a large bowl mix together:

• 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free pancake mix
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp sugar of choice

Whisk together in a small bowl:

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup lemon juice (I used the juice of the zested lemon and then filled to complete)
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup milk – I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Mix in a very small bowl:

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp choice of sugar

Incorporate and bake:

• Slowly pour the egg/milk mixture into the dry and stir with a spatula to incorporate.
• Fold in blackberries.
• Spread batter into pan evenly with spatula, making sure blackberries are dispersed evenly.
• Bake for 5 minutes.  Then drizzle the lemon/sugar mixture on the top of the pancake and use a knife to swirl into the batter.
• Bake for another 13 minutes or until the top of the pancake is slightly browned.

This recipe makes enough for 4 people as a main plate or 6 as an partner for eggs or omelets.