Fluffy pancakes with mascapone + blueberry compote - gluten free

“Breakfast classic. ’Nuff said. Enjoy!” – Melanie Persson

Makes 6-8

60g basic flour blend (see below)

120g rice flour

2 tsp gluten-free baking powder

40g caster sugar

⅛ tsp salt

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)

250ml milk

20g unsalted butter, melted

2–3 tsp vegetable oil, for frying

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, then create a well in the centre and add the eggs, vanilla and half the milk. Whisk gently, incorporating the dry ingredients from the side of the bowl to create a thick batter. When smooth, whisk in the remaining milk. Adding the milk in batches helps to prevent lumps forming in the batter. Add the melted butter and stir again, then set aside for 15 minutes.

Place a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and grease with a little of the oil to lightly coat the frying pan; wipe away the excess with a paper towel. When hot, use a ladle or measuring cup to pour the batter into the pan (75 ml/ 2½ fl oz of batter makes a nice-sized pancake). 

When lots of bubbles start to appear and pop on the top of the pancake, flip it over using  

a spatula and cook the reverse side for a further 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a preheated oven (set to about 60°C Fan/140°F Fan) to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the pan with more oil between each pancake. Transfer to a plate and serve while hot with the vanilla mascarpone and blueberry compote.

Vanilla mascapone

250g mascarpone

2 tsp honey (or to taste)

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)

⅛ tsp salt

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Adjust the ratio of honey and salt slightly according to taste. Dollop onto freshly cooked pancakes along with a fruit compote or jam (jelly). 

Blueberry compote

200g frozen blueberries

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp caster sugar (or to taste)

Place half the blueberries in a small saucepan with the lemon juice and sugar and set over medium heat. Stir occasionally, for 5–10 minutes, while the berries thaw and start to break down. Allow to simmer and reduce slightly, then add the remaining berries and cook for 3–4 minutes more until they’re heated through and starting to soften. 

Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl, then spoon onto pancakes to serve.

Basic flour blend - Makes 1kg

This is the plain (all-purpose) flour blend I’ve created to be used in most of the recipes in this book. To convert this flour into a self-raising blend, simply add 1 teaspoon of gluten-free baking powder for every 100g of this mix (this is best added as needed on the day of baking). Note that all starches used in this blend should be the super finely ground variety. This recipe was developed in gram measurements, so I advise you to follow that set of measurements for the most accurate results.

315g rice flour

250g tapioca starch

250g gluten-free cornflour (cornstarch)

165g potato starch

2 tbsp + 1 tsp xanthan gum

Sift the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Sift and mix again to ensure the starches and xanthan gum have been evenly distributed into a homogenous flour blend. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

This is an edited extract from Gluten-Free Feasts by Melanie Persson, published by Hardie Grant Books. Photography by Ola O. Smit.