Lemon Coconut Pancakes with Cream Cheese Syrup

Lemon Coconut Pancakes with Cream Cheese Syrup. When spring arrives, one must remember all things lemony and coconut-y and holy.

And then add cream cheese syrup. And a sprig of mint. Amen.

Lemon Coconut Pancakes with Cream Cheese Syrup

Syrup

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• Zest of lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Few drops of water if needed to reach the consistency you would like
• 1 cup coconut, preferably toasted in a nonstick pan over medium heat

Mix all ingredients together with a hand mixer then warm over medium heat in a saucepan until melted and saucy and delicious. Set syrup and coconut aside when they are ready.

Pancakes

Preheat griddle to 375°F.

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (or milk with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice added to it), room temperature)
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup melted butter, canola oil, or vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Zest from fresh lemons
• 1/2 cup juice from fresh lemons
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk together.

Place wet ingredients (except lemon juice) in a separate container. Whisk together until eggs are well-beaten. Stir until about halfway combined.

Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, & coconut and stir again just until ingredients are combined. Lumps are normal and okay because you don’t want to overmix and get rubbery pancakes.

Give your batter a smell. There it is. That is spring in a bowl. You’re welcome.

Allow batter to sit while pan preheats. Turn heat down to 360-365°F once it has been preheated, then use a 1/3 cup measure to scoop batter into the pan then smooth the pancake out just a bit to form a circle.

Tips for how to cook a perfect pancake:

1. Never use a scratched non-stick pan. Keep your nonstick pans in a special location all their own to prevent scratching and only use plastic & wooden utensils when cooking with them.
2. Don’t use too much sugar. Too much sugar in the batter will make the pancakes burn.
3. Preheat your pan to medium or 275°F. If you’re not sure what temperature will work best on your stove, try low and slowly work your way up one smidge at a time until you find a heat that is perfect for pancakes, and then remember it for the future. You can’t speed up the cooking time by using a higher heat or they will simply burn.
4. Low and slow. Cooking at low heat does two things. It helps the bottom not to burn before the inside finishes cooking and it helps the pancake to rise a bit.
5. Wait for the bubbles. When the bubbles start to form in the middle of the pancake and start popping around the outer edges, it’s time to flip.

There. Perfect.

After pancakes are cooked, blend syrup ingredients with an emulsion blender or something similar. Heat the syrup on low heat while continuously stirring until creamy and warm. If needed, add a few drops of water at a time after it’s cooked to make it the consistency you’d like it to be.

Bazinga.

This recipe makes 4 eight-inch pancakes or 8 four-inch pancakes. In my opinion, the 8 four-inch pancakes taste considerably better.