Recipe: Cafe Pongo Lula's Lemon Flapjacks with Blueberry Anise Compote

LULA'S LEMON FLAPJACKS WITH BLUEBERRY ANISE COMPOTE

"This recipe was given to us by Lula's grandmother Sally. Light and fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside, these have been a family favorite for many years. You can make the pancakes by themselves and eat them with whipped cream and/or maple syrup, but they are best with the blueberry compote Lula's dad (Roland) created. If the opportunity arises to make this recipe with Meyer lemons, jump on it. The recipe is very good with standard lemons, but with Meyer lemons it is pure heaven."

FOR THE COMPOTE:
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups fresh or frozen whole blueberries
2 tablespoons Pernod or Sambuca liqueur
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch if needed

FOR THE FLAPJACKS:
1 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus additional for garnish
3 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Butter for cooking the flapjacks
Powdered sugar for garnish

TO MAKE THE COMPOTE:
Combine all the ingredients except the cornstarch in a saucepan and simmer over very low heat. As the berries heat up they will release their water. Frozen berries release a lot more liquid, so you may want to add a little cornstarch if the compote is too thin. If in the beginning it seems the berries are sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water, not too much.

TO MAKE THE FLAPJACKS:
In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks, vanilla, and olive oil. Slowly add the baking powder, flour, and salt while the machine is running. Scrape the mixture into a bowl.

With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks begin to appear. Gingerly fold the egg whites into the batter until all the ingredients are combined.

In a cast-iron skillet or on a griddle over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter until it is bubbling. Drop 1/4 cup of the batter for each flapjack into the skillet. Cook until you can see bubbles coming up through the batter. Flip the flapjacks over and cook the other side.

TO SERVE:
Place the flapjacks on individual plates and spoon the hot compote over the flapjacks. I make a stripe with the compote so that I can still see the lemon cakes underneath. Garnish with lemon zest and powdered sugar.

Makes about 2 dozen
Source: The Cafe Pongo Cookbook: More Than 220 Recipes from the Hudson Valley by Valerie Nehez