If during the week breakfast at our house is rushed, on weekends, however, we indulge in a slower-paced breakfast, and most importantly, one that tastes much better, just like these cocoa pancakes.
In just a few simple steps, and with ingredients that you usually have on hand, like milk, sugar, flour, eggs, and cocoa powder, you can serve a great breakfast that will especially delight the little ones.
The secret to making them nice and fluffy, apart from using baking powder, is separating the yolks from the egg whites, which, once beaten to stiff peaks, give the final batter a high level of softness.
You can enjoy them plain, perhaps with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or fill them with whatever you like, such as fresh fruit, peanut butter, or, as I did, with hazelnut cream and whole hazelnuts, for an even more indulgent version.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then… let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for 10 pancakes
- 2 eggs
- 2.1 oz sugar
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.1 cups milk
- 4 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- as needed butter (for the pan)
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Electric whisk
- 1 Hand whisk
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Crepe pan
- 1 Sifter
Steps
To prepare cocoa pancakes, first crack the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites.
Collect the egg whites in a bowl and beat them to stiff peaks, adding a pinch of salt when they start to foam. In another bowl, collect the yolks with sugar and beat until they are light and fluffy.
To the egg yolk and sugar mixture, add the sifted flour and baking powder and mix until fully absorbed. The batter should be smooth and homogeneous, without lumps.
At this point, add the sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and mix it thoroughly into the batter. Then, fold in the beaten egg whites in stages. To prevent them from deflating, incorporate them gently with upward strokes.
Once the batter is smooth and uniform, proceed to cooking.
With a bit of butter, grease a preheated pan (remove any excess with a paper towel) and then, using a ladle, pour a bit of batter into the pan, spreading it evenly to form a round shape with even edges.
Let it cook over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes. When bubbles start forming on the surface, flip the pancakes and cook the other side for another minute or two.
As they are ready, stack them on a plate to keep them moist inside.
