These three-bite, custardy, dessert pancakes are as gorgeous as they are scrumptious — brimming with nearly-bursting blueberries and studded with zingy bits of crystallized ginger. All that, and they require less skill to make than a stack of regular pancakes: just pour the batter into a muffin pan, top with the berries and ginger, and the oven does the rest.
The simple, eggy batter is on the light and healthful side — made with whole-grain flour, just enough honey for a gentle sweetness, a relatively small amount of butter and low-fat milk. But it is rich enough for the final product to definitely read as dessert. In the oven, the batter puffs and becomes golden, and although the pancakes deflate somewhat as they cool, they retain their gloriously regal sensibility.
Best eaten while warm, these are ideal to make for company who will gobble them up on the spot. But the “pancakes,” called clafoutis, also can be refrigerated for up to two days and re-warmed in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds each for a longer-lasting treat.
Blueberry-ginger mini clafoutis
The clafoutis can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and warmed in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds each.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for the pan
3 large eggs
1 cup low-fat milk (1 percent)
⅓ cup mild, light-colored honey
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, stemmed as needed
2 teaspoons finely chopped crystalized ginger
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Brush the wells of a standard-size, 12-count muffin pan with butter.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, honey, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, the lemon zest and salt in a mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the flour to form a batter, which will have small lumps; this is OK. Distribute the batter evenly among the wells of the muffin pan, then add equal amounts of blueberries and crystallized ginger to each one. Bake (middle rack) until puffed and golden and the centers are set, 20 to 25 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes (the clafoutis will sink as they cool), then run a table knife or offset spatula around their edges to release them from the pan.
Serve while still slightly warm, with a dusting of the confectioners’ sugar on top, if using.
Makes 12 servings. Nutrition per serving: 120 calories, 3 g protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 65 milligrams cholesterol, 50 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 10 grams sugar.
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