ORANGE & POPPYSEED PANCAKES

My second attempt on this blog at cooking breakfast! I admit that I did not stray too far away from my first breakfast blog - ‘Maple Syrup Pancakes’, but I am slowly getting there. The inspiration for these pancakes came from a Food Ideas magazine. The orange rind is not overpowering in flavour but is just strong enough. The citrus zest and the poppyseeds compliment each other extremely well. I especially like that these pancakes are not overly sugary, as I can convince myself that they are good for me! Have a go at making them guys, they are much tastier and more exciting to make than standard, run of the mill pancakes! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 2/3 cup skim milk
• a dash of vanilla essence 
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of finely grated orange rind/zest
• 1 orange, peeled and cut into slices 
• cooking oil spray 
• Optional- maple syrup, to serve 

COOKING 

1. Pour flour, sugar and poppy seeds into a large bowl and stir to combine. Make a well or hole in the centre. Whisk the egg, milk, orange zest and vanilla essence in a medium bowl, then pour into the well. Stir well to combine. (If the batter is too thick for your liking, add 1-2 more tablespoons of milk). 

2. Heat a pancake pan or medium non-stick frying pan on low heat and add cooking oil spray. Using a big metal spoon, spoon the mixture into the pan in droplets and create circles. (However big you want to make the pancakes is up to you- I find that it is easier to cook them if they are slightly bigger than pikelets but smaller than pancake size). Turn each pancake over when bubbles begin to appear on the surface. Keep the pan on low heat. Cover to keep warm and repeat until all batter has been used. 

3. Serve with fresh orange pieces and maple syrup, if desired. 

x E