Stephen doesn't deserve me.
Instead of catching up on hours and hours of sleep on my day off, I lovingly woke up at 6:30am while it was still kind of dark just to cook Stephen a hearty breakfast before sending him on his way to teach the dunderheads at Parramatta UWS (not his words, I was just channeling my love for Professor Snape).
Ok, so I might have also wanted to try cooking this dish that was inspired by the apple hotcakes I sampled at Ripples at Milson's Point a couple of years ago. But don't tell him, because I'm enjoying the guilt trip...
The hotcakes are light and have a subtle apple taste, which I enhanced by using a little bit of apple juice concentrate along with the apple puree. The cinnamon creme fraiche goes with the apple flavour like an overly used food analogy, and because there is no refined sugar in the first two components, the sugar in the poached rhubarb lends some necessary sweetness.
Apple Hotcakes with Cinnamon Creme Fraiche & Poached Rhubarb
*Hotcake recipe adapted from "The Thrifty Kitchen" by Suzanne Gibbs and Kate Gibbs
INGREDIENTS
Hotcakes
1 cup ricotta cheese
140g apple puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup milk
Creme Fraiche
150 g creme fraiche
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Poached Rhubarb
1 stalk of rhubarb, washed, trimmed and cut into 4 cm pieces
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup cold water
1. For the hotcakes, whisk the ricotta, apple sauce, apple juice concentrate and egg in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk, and then the flour until just combined. Combine the creme fraiche and cinnamon in a bowl and keep aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine the water, sugar, cinnamon and rhubarb over a low heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then turn the heat up and let the mixture boil until it thickens, approximately 2 - 5 minutes.
3. Place the rhubarb in a single layer in a small baking tray, and add the liquid. Cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 160 degrees celcius.
4. Meanwhile, melt some butter in a large frying pan. Pour 1/4 cup measures of hotcake mixture into the pan, then use the back of a spoon to spread them to about 10 cm in size. Cook for a couple of minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface, then turn over and cook the other side. Repeat in batches until the batter is used up.
5. Arrange the hotcakes on a plate, top with poached rhubarb, then with the cinnamon creme fraiche. Spoon some of the liquid from the rhubarb on top, and serve immediately. Serves 4.
AS soon as i read the title i was in love! This is would be my favourite breakfast :) YUM!
Posted by: muppy | Apr 12, 2011 at 07:26 AM
Yummy breakfast, especially for these chilly mornings.
Posted by: Gaby | Apr 12, 2011 at 11:30 AM
How spoilt! Rhubarb is one of my favourite vegetables ever? It is technically a veggie not a fruit, like a tomato is a fruit not a veggie- how confusing!!!
I hope none of his student read this blog, or you might have to soothe their ruffled feelings by sending in some of these yummy beauties :)
I also enjoy keeping my husband off balance by randomly doing uber loveydovey things like this- just to keep him guessing!
Posted by: InTolerantChef | Apr 12, 2011 at 09:47 PM
What a delicious sweet treat. Now I want some too :D
*kisses* HH
Posted by: Heavenly Housewife | Apr 14, 2011 at 04:55 PM
How delicious do these look! Stephen is very lucky ;)
(Love the Snape reference - I'm going to get the Deathly Hallows DVD in 10 minutes!)
Posted by: Chanel | Apr 14, 2011 at 05:27 PM
Yum! I love rhubarb, these sound so tasty :-)
Posted by: Maria @ Scandifoodie | Apr 18, 2011 at 12:05 PM