Polenta is very common here in Italy, it is basically cornmeal. Although cornmeal would translate to “Farina de Mais” which literally means corn flour, which is very different. Cornmeal or Polenta is gritty while corn flour is fine and smooth. So if you have cornmeal or polenta, then I suggest you whip up these delicious stacks of pancakes covered with lemony mixed berries. Truth be told, it was not my intention to make pancakes with polenta; I ran out of all-purpose flour and this was my nearest substitute. It just happens to be gluten-free and almost guilt-free. Granting polenta is typically eaten as a porridge in Italy, I can assure you it also makes for some yummy pancakes and the cooked up syrupy mixed berries is literally the icing on these cakes.
How to make the Polenta pancakes with mixed berries:
- Put the polenta flour, sugar, egg, milk, baking soda & powder, vanilla and cinnamon in a blender and blitz.
- Let the blended mixture sit for 30 seconds to a minute, to let the Polenta soak up the liquid.
- Place a pan on medium heat, lightly grease with vegetable oil or butter (you can do so with tissue paper by dabbing the oil on the tissue and rub on the pan or take a block of butter and rub it on the pan).
- Stir and Scoop two tablespoons of the blended batter into the pan to make one small pancake.
- Once you notice some air bubbles on the top and the edges are getting brown, flip over to the other side. Remove from pan when both sides are brown and place on a plate.
- Repeat the frying process (from greasing the pan) for the remaining batter. This should give you a stack of 5 to 6 polenta pancakes.
- Place the frozen berries in a saucepan, squeeze in half a lemon and 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Simmer on low to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until it’s all cooked together.
- Pour the cooked berries unto the stack of polenta pancakes and serve.
Gluten-free Polenta Pancakes with Mixed Berries
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Polenta Flour (Cornmeal Flour)
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 Egg
- ⅓ Milk
- ½ tsp Vanilla
- ½ tsp Cinnamon (optional)
- ⅓ cup Frozen Mixed Berries
- 1 tbsp Honey
- ½ Lemon
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Put the polenta flour, sugar, egg, milk, baking soda & powder, vanilla and cinnamon in a blender and blitz.
- Let the blended mixture sit for 30 seconds to a minute, to let the Polenta soak up the liquid.
- Place a pan on medium heat, lightly grease with vegetable oil or butter (you can do so with tissue paper by dabbing the oil on the tissue and rub on the pan or take a block of butter and rub it on the pan).
- Stir and Scoop two tablespoons of the blended batter into the pan to make one small pancake.
- Once you notice some air bubbles on the top and the edges are getting brown, flip over to the other side. Remove from pan when both sides are brown and place on a plate.
- Repeat the frying process (from greasing the pan) for the remaining batter. This should give you a stack of 5 to 6 pancakes.
For the Mixed Berries:
- Place the frozen berries in a saucepan, squeeze in half a lemon and 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Simmer on low to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until it’s all cooked together.
- Pour the cooked berries unto the stack of pancakes and serve.
