Lavender Souffle Pancakes with Persimmon and Plum Compote

This is the perfect morning breakfast for a sunny, autumn Sunday. These pancakes are light and airy (not to mention low in calories) and the persimmon and plum compote offers a seasonally sweet alternative to syrup. Try adding fresh blackberries to the mix. 

What You'll Need

For the Pancakes:
2 eggs, separated
3 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
1 tablespoon flour
1/8 cup milk (I like to use Vanilla Almond milk)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Compote:
1 persimmon
1 plum
2 teaspoons turbinado (raw) sugar

1. Let's make the compote first. Peal the persimmon and the plum. Cut the plum in half and remove the pit. Chop the top off of the persimmon. Dice each fruit into small 1/4" cubes. Add the cubes and sugar to a small saucepot and heat over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Set aside.
2. On to the pancakes. Add the butter and the lavender flowers in a microwave safe bowl and cook in the microwave until the butter is melted, just about 1 minute. Let the butter cool. Once cooled, strain out the lavender flowers.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and 2 teaspoons of the sugar on medium high speed until they are light in color and thick.
4. Add the butter mixture and the flower to the egg yolks and continue to beat at medium high speed. Beat in the milk until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl with the egg whites, add the cream of tartar and the last teaspoon of sugar. Using and electric mixer, beat on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. (Note: if you are using the same electric mixer, be sure that the beaters are completely free of any egg yolk whatsoever. The presence of egg yolk will prevent your egg whites from fluffing)
6. Add 1/4 of the whites to the egg yolks and fold in, just to lighten the yolks. Once that is fully incorporated, add the rest of the egg whites and gently fold in. Be sure not to fold too rigorously else the batter will lose air and your pancakes will not puff when cooking.
7. Place a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Use either a light cooking spray or butter to grease the pan. Scoop out 1/4 cup full of batter onto the pan. Let cook until you see little bubbles appear in each pancake. Once the bubbles appear, flip the cake over to cook the other side. Remove the cake once each side is golden brown and the puffed sides are cooked through. 
8. Remove pancakes from heat and arrange on a plate. Serve with the Persimmon and Plum Compote. 

Serves 2

Sweet Whey Bread with Fresh Rosemary Cheese and Bourbon Fig Compote

My, my that sounds complicated - but it isn't! I came up with this bread recipe because I hated to waste the left over whey that comes with making cheese. It is a sweet, dense bread with a light crust and it only uses a few ingredients that you most likely have on hand (with the exception of the whey of course). The compote is great for canning and looks beautiful when spread over the cheese*. With the sweetness of the bread, the saltiness of the cheese and the tanginess of the compote, this tasty tidbit it sure to please!

*see my previous post for the cheese recipe

What You'll Need:

Sweet Whey Bread

3 cups white flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup of whey

1 egg

1/3 cup of sugar

Bourbon Fig Compote

1 ½ cups dried, chopped figs

¼ cup bourbon

¼ cup fresh orange juice

2 tblsp brown sugar

¼ tsp orange zest

¼ tsp ground clove

For the bread:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine the flour, soda and salt in a large bowl. Sift them together, or do what I do and run a whisk through the mixture a few times.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the whey, egg and sugar. Beat on high until foamy and tripled in volume.
4. By stand mixer or by hand: 
• By stand mixer: switch to the kneading attachment and turn on to a low speed. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 parts. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky and soft.
• By hand: slowly fold in the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 parts. Once all flour is incorporated, turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky and soft.
5. Once your dough is ready, form it into a loaf and place it on a buttered and floured cookie sheet. Brush the top with any leftover whey or melted butter. Run a knife down the center of the bread to make a slit for air to escape as it bakes.
6. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
7. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes before serving. Be sure to slice the bread as thinly as possible, about ¼" thick to serve.

For the compote:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a medium size sauce pot over medium heat.
2. Stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed and the fig starts to break down, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Serve warm or can it to save for later.

Yield: About 12 ounces

Enjoy!