Tiramisu Pancakes

If you suffer from a chronic sweet tooth syndrome, if you love dessert for breakfast, if you are a coffee and chocolate fan, or a tiramisu person, or if you simply love life…then you must try these uber delicious Tiramisu Pancakes. Though this dessert is not overly sweet but still loaded with calories and meant only for occasional indulgence.

This classic Venetian dessert with coffee, cream and a lovely light sponge is one of the most delicious trifles in the world. It’s common knowledge by now that Tiramisu’ means “pick-me-up” in Italian, maybe the dessert was named so because of the high energy boosting ingredients; eggs, sugar, caffeine from coffee and cocoa.

It is a layered cake and the brilliance of the recipe lies in the heavenly combination of ingredients. The first time I tasted Tiramisu, it was love at first bite. All the components of the dish merge beautifully into each other and make each bite an epitome of comfort and luxury.

Here I have combined two of my most favourite recipes, pancakes and tiramisu, for an easy, quick and delicious treat. This pile of coffee soaked pancakes with layers of tiramisu cream filling, sprinkling of cocoa and chocolate shavings is a dessert that can suddenly make you smile wider, the sun shine brighter and flowers smell sweeter.

The traditional dessert makes cream with beaten egg yolks and sugar but in my fusion dessert I have omitted the egg yolks and instead used cinnamon flavoured whipped cream to mix with cheese. The pancakes aren’t sweet in themselves so basically all the sin lies in the cream topping. You can make pancakes ahead of time and just assemble the dessert an hour before you need to serve it.

2 eggs or two medium bananas
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
2+1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup hot water
3 teaspoons instant coffee

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup mascarpone or cream cheese
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk chocolate or dark chocolate shavings

Beat eggs or bananas with milk, sugar, salt, baking soda and vanilla essence until fluffy; add flour a little at a time and keep mixing.

For thinner pancakes, stir in a little more milk. I kept my batter of a thin custard like consistency to keep the pancakes light.

Heat a small frying pan or griddle on medium low heat. Lightly grease the pan every time before pouring in the batter for a pancake or use a nonstick pan.

For each pancake pour about 2 serving spoons of batter onto hot pan. Cook pancake on one side till you see bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook other side until golden brown. Repeat with all the batter.

8 medium pancakes.

Dilute coffee in one cup hot water. Pour the coffee liquid in a deep plate. Dip each pancake in coffee for a few seconds. Refrigerate till you prepare the tiramisu cream topping.

Place a metal mixing bowl and metal whisk into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Place the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla into the cold mixing bowl and add the whipping cream. Whisk just until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Or you can use electric beater to whip the cream. Fold in cheese gently.

Place a pancake on the serving plate. Top with a generous spoonful of cream topping, spread it all over the pancake in a thick layer. Sift a thin layer of cocoa powder over it. Repeat with the other pancakes and continue to stack as many pancakes as you want.

Garnish with chocolate shavings. Serve chilled.

Serves 4