English Pancakes with Spiked Vanilla cream and Chocolate Sauce
These incredibly indulgent Amarula Vanilla Spice Pancakes are easy to make and even easier to devour! A great grown-up treat for pancake day and a delicious quick dessert any time of the year.
1tbspmelted butter or vegetable oil to grease the frying pan
Vanilla Cream
360ml(1 ½ cups) double cream
60ml(¼ cup) Amarula Vanilla Spice
100g(1 cup) icing sugar
1tspvanilla paste
Chocolate Sauce
100g(3½ oz) dark chocolate buttons
80ml(⅓ cup) double cream
1-2tbspAmarula Vanilla Spice
Caramelised nuts
200g(7oz) walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
2-3tbspsugar
Optional toppings/fillings
2globes stem ginger, very finely diced
icing sugarto dust the pancakes
Instructions
Make pancake batter
Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl to aerate the ingredients.
Add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract if usisng and a small amount of the milk and start mixing together using a small balloon whisk. Begin mixing at the centre of the bowl, slowly incorporating the flour until you have a thick, smooth batter.
Gradually pour in the remaining milk, mixing with the balloon whisk until you have a thin batter, the consistency of slightly thick single cream.
I like to strain the pancake batter into a mixing jug to get rid of any small lumps and make it easier to pour into a hot pan - this is optional.
Leave the batter to rest for 30 minutes or put in the fridge to use later – it will keep for a couple of days, covered.
Cook the pancakes
Mist the pan with a little rapeseed oil and then wipe most of it away using kitchen paper. Alternatively use a knob of butter to grease the pan. Heat until the pan is really hot then turn the temperature down a little.
Pour in around half a ladleful of batter - it should sizzle slightly when it hits the hot pan. Working quickly, tilt the pan so that the batter covers the surface of the pan. Don't use too much batter as the pancakes will be too thick and rubbery.
Cook for 30 seconds then loosen the edges of the pancake using a silicone spatula and check the underside – it should be golden and ready to flip.
Flip the pancake over using a spatula. Cook for 20-30 seconds and then simply slide it onto a plate. Continue until you use all of the pancake batter, stacking the pancakes on the plate as you go.
Filling your pancakes
Whisk double cream and icing sugar using a hand or stand mixer. Start whisking at the lowest speed setting and gradually increase the speed , adding the Amarula, until the cream holds peaks. Place in the fridge while you make the chocolate sauce.
Heat the cream and Amarula Vanilla Spice Cream in a saucepan until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Pour over a bowl of dark chocolate buttons, leave for a couple of minutes then stir with a spoon until the chocolate melts and is the consistency of double cream.
Toast the chopped nuts in a hot pan, sprinkle with the sugar and cook for a few minutes until they start to colour and sugar melts and caramelises. Keep an eye on them as they can easily burn! Transfer to a bowl.
Spread the cream over the pancake, drizzle with a little chocolate sauce and sprinkle with chopped nuts and very finely diced stem ginger, if using. Roll the pancake up and repeat until you have filled them all.
Drizzle with extra chocolate sauce and sprinkle with more nuts, dust with a little icing sugar and enjoy!