Make these for your sweetie today! The beets keep your pancakes moist and color them red.
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup beets, cooked and chopped (3 small beets or one large beet)
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cook beets by boiling them until tender, peel, and let cool. Whisk all the dry ingredients together. Chop beets into small pieces to make a slightly heaping 1/2 cup. Place in a blender with 1/2 cup of the milk. Blend until smooth. Pour into a mixing bowl with 1/2 cup of milk. Place butter into a small saucepan and heat gently until melted.
Add remaining 1 cup of milk to the melted butter and heat for another minute until warm but not boiling. Add warmed milk and butter mixture, beaten eggs, and the vanilla to beet and milk purée in mixing bowl. Mix well, until smooth and uniform. Add wet ingredients to dry mix and gently fold in until incorporated. Do not over mix or you will have rubbery pancakes. Small lumps in the batter are OK. Batter should be fairly thick but you may need to add a few more tablespoons of milk to lighten it up. Allow batter to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
Heat a skillet or griddle on medium-low heat, adding small amount of oil or butter. Spoon in batter, about 1/4 cup at a time. Allow the pancake to start bubbling and once it is dry around the edges, flip over. Check for doneness on the second side after 1 minute. Serve warm.
