Soufflé Up, Buttercup!
Japanese-Style Fluffy Strawberry Buttermilk Pancakes with Fresh Strawberry Syrup
45 minutes
Serves 4
BreakfastJapaneseNut-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
Japanese soufflé pancakes are pillowy towers of breakfast joy, and here they get a double shot of strawberry flavor, puréed right into the batter and drizzled as a vivid syrup. You’ll learn the magic of stiff-peaked meringue for max lift and the gentle art of steam-cooking pancakes for cloud-like fluffiness.
Equipment needed
- Electric mixer
- 3-inch ring molds (optional)
- Blender
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Combine 1 1/2 cups strawberries and 6 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until strawberries are soft and juices are released, about 5-7 minutes.
- 02Transfer the cooked strawberries to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Set aside 1/3 cup of the purée for the pancake batter; return the rest to the saucepan.
- 03To the reserved strawberry purée in the saucepan, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Simmer over medium-low heat until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- 04In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons milk, and the 1/3 cup reserved strawberry purée until well combined.
- 05Sift in 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix gently until just combined; do not overmix.
- 06In another large bowl, beat the 4 egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy, then gradually add 1/4 cup sugar. Continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- 07Gently fold one third of the meringue into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining meringue in two additions until just incorporated. Batter should be airy and light pink.
- 08Heat a large nonstick skillet over low heat and lightly grease with butter. For extra-tall pancakes, use greased 3-inch ring molds; otherwise, drop the batter in tall mounds (about 1/2 cup each).
- 09Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and bubbles form on the sides.
- 10Carefully flip each pancake, cover again, and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until set and springy to the touch.
- 11Transfer pancakes to plates. Spoon over the strawberry syrup and garnish with reserved fresh strawberry quarters.
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