cooking ala mel

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TARDIS Tea Pancakes (Blueberry Earl Grey Pancakes) – Gluten Free

So far, this week has been slightly stressful because of one sick little kitty we have.  Little Miss Nymeria hasn’t been eating (or playing), so I finally took her into the vet today, where she was deemed apparently healthy, other than the whole not eating thing.  An anti-nausea shot and a little force feeding later, we’re hoping that she gets better so that we don’t have to go back in for blood work.  Fingers crossed!

 

With my checking on the Little about every 20 minutes, it’s safe to say that I haven’t been very productive this week.  I got to do some experimenting in the kitchen with one of my favorite teas on Monday, and I’ve been eating the leftovers every morning for breakfast thereafter.  I’m glad I did, since I definitely didn’t have time to create myself a breakfast with all the checking the baby and stress-watching Chuck I’ve been doing!

These pancakes are infused with TARDIS blend tea, my absolute favorite tea from Adagio.  Adagio is probably my very favorite tea company for the sole reason that they have a special section for fandom blends – Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Sherlock, etc. – that have special blends created by tea makers that are fans themselves.  TARDIS tea is a blend of blackberry, vanilla, and earl grey, and it tastes like a blueberry muffin.  I enjoy it hot, I enjoy it iced, and I now especially love infusing it into recipes for a fun berry earl grey flavor.  I served it up iced to my family when they came to visit, and everybody enjoyed it – my grandma, both sisters, and brother-in-law – so much so that my sister has already ordered some for herself.  If you’re a Doctor Who fan, you’ll think this tea perfectly befits the TARDIS.  It’s adventurous while still being homey, with a bit of quirk.  Whether you’re a Doctor Who fan or not, you’ll probably enjoy this tea.  The best thing about Adagio is that they wholeheartedly embrace the fandoms – with TARDIS blend tea, you get an extra ounce of tea in the bag, because obviously, the TARDIS is bigger on the inside, making this tea also bigger on the inside.  Love it!

 

Infusing this couldn’t be easier.  I heated the milk and just steeped the tea into it just as I would for a cuppa, then strained the tea leaves out.  I also ground up some extra tea leaves with the oat flour to pepper it with a bit more flavor.  The result is a subtly blueberry earl grey flavor with a gentle sweetness (the blackberry in the tea shines through as blueberry).  I threw a handful of blueberries in every other pancake so that the blueberry flavor would be more pronounced without being straight up blueberry pancakes.

 

These pancakes are the perfect healthy breakfast with a more sophisticated flair from the tea.  I made them with almond and oat flours so that they would be both gluten free and full of fiber and protein.  I recommend using whole milk to keep them nice and soft, but coconut milk is also a great dairy-free option.  If you choose another milk – almond, soy, rice, etc. – I would recommend adding 2 tablespoons of oil of some sort to keep them from tasting dry.  You could always just slather them with butter, too.  I would definitely do that regardless!

 

If you don’t have TARDIS tea, you can just as easily use your favorite Earl Grey, although it then won’t have a blueberry flavor.  Just add a few more blueberries to the batter!  Yum.

These pancakes are excellent with a drizzle of syrup and a slathering of butter, but they’d also be fantastic with some freshly whipped cream and fresh berries.  A perfect summer breakfast or brunch!

What fandom are you a part of that you would love to try teas from?  I’ve personally tried a few Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, and Doctor Who teas, and I can’t wait to try more!
 
 
 
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TARDIS Tea Pancakes (Blueberry Earl Grey Pancakes) – Gluten Free

yields about 8 medium pancakes

TARDIS Tea Pancakes (Blueberry Earl Grey Pancakes) – Gluten Free

  • 1 cup whole milk (or coconut milk)*
  • 1 tsp TARDIS blend tea (or Earl Grey)
  • 1/2 cup oats, ground into flour**
  • 1/2 tsp TARDIS blend tea (or Earl Grey)
  • 1/2 cup almond meal (or flour)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • ~18 drops liquid stevia (or 2 Tbsp sugar)
  • blueberries, for sprinkling into batter (optional)

Heat the milk in a small saucepan (or in a heat proof measuring cup in the microwave for about 1 and a half minutes) to a simmer. Add the 1 teaspoon of TARDIS tea, and allow it to steep for about 5 minutes, until the milk is lightly tinted brown and fragrant. Strain out the tea leaves through a fine mesh strainer, and then set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the oats and 1/2 teaspoon TARDIS tea. Process until it makes a fine powder.

In a medium bowl, stir the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add the egg, vanilla, and liquid stevia, stirring until well combined. Add the cooled steeped milk, and stir until mostly smooth.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, and spray with oil. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet, sprinkle with blueberries (if using) and cook on one side until bubbles begin to form and the edges appear slightly dry. Flip, and cook on the other side for another minute. Remove to a plate, and repeat with the remaining batter.

To keep the pancakes heated while cooking the remaining batter, turn the oven on warm (about 200ºF) and place a sturdy plate (or oven proof dish) in the oven. Transfer the cooked pancakes in there to stay warm.

Serve immediately with maple syrup, butter, and/or whipped cream and berries.

*If using almond, soy, rice, etc. milk, add 2 Tbsp oil to the batter. **If you are gluten intolerant, be sure to use certified gluten free oats to avoid cross-contamination.

https://cookingalamel.com/2013/07/tardis-tea-pancakes-blueberry-earl-grey-pancakes-gluten-free.html
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