Coconut Pancakes with Ginger-Lime Syrup

I was fortunate to watch a rerun of the Romantic Spots episode of Unique Eats over Cooking Channel which featured Public Restaurant in NYC one weekend.  But I was drawn by a unique pancake included in their brunch offering more than the restaurant itself.    These coconut pancakes must rock judging by the way it was given the spotlight on the channel.  I wonder what makes these pancakes special.  Well, the mere array of ingredients for the batter alone is enough to intrigue me.  All purpose flour, polenta, baking powder, coconut milk, coconut flakes, eggs, buttermilk, coconut powder and unsalted butter- whoa!  I was thinking crunch-crunch on the outside and tender goodness on the inside- one of the best texture combos.  The pancakes are served with fresh ricotta cheese. fresh ripe mango cubes and the special ginger-lime syrup which is mixed with a little maple syrup;  creamy, sweet, citrusy and with a little punch from the fresh ginger-  all the wonderful flavors.  If that's not over the top unique, then I don't know what unique means.  I was drooling just watching the episode.

But drooled as much as I did, I ain't flying to New York to get a taste of the famous pancakes.  I will bring Public to my abode!  Simply put, I will try to make my own for the meantime and we'll see, maybe I will taste the real deal in the future.

I spent the week collecting my ingredients from TJ's with the final stop at Fresh & Easy for polenta.  And then it's time for the "Big Reveal" or more likely, Execution Day!  It's time to head into the kitchen and execute- find out what makes these pancakes tick.

This is pretty much how making pancakes start- Gather all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl

Whisk together all wet ingredients in another bowl

Mix them together

Heat a non-stick pan over medium low heat.  Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with cooking spray.  Pour about a third of a cup batter into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the pancakes become bubbly.  Flip and cook for another 3 minutes.  Keep an eye on your pan- lower the heat if it becomes too hot to avoid burning.

  Transfer to a plate and repeat the process to the rest of the batter

For the syrup, I started by making a simple syrup with ginger and fresh lime juice mixed with maple syrup

I forgot to take pictures when I cubed the mango but this is the whole cast ready to take a bow- coconut pancakes, mango cubes, fresh ricotta cheese and ginger-lime-maple syrup

And then comes the big reaveal... even my mango cubes are big... lol...

I regret that these pancakes need to be consumed straight from the pan which means I can't bring any for my friends at work.  Well, I could but it's not going to be the same if we end up with the microwave to warm these up and thereby diminishing the flavors and altering the texture.

COCONUT PANCAKES WITH GINGER LIME SYRUP

adapted from Cooking Channel

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups coconut powder (I substituted this with an extra cup of processed dry unsweetened coconut- you may use your food processor or magic bullet or blender)

1 1/8 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup quick-cooking polenta

1 tbsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

1 cup 2% fat milk

3/4 cup melted unsalted butter

4 extra large eggs, lightly beaten

1- 16 oz Mae Ploy coconut milk

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese for serving

1 cup fresh ripe mango cubes for serving

Toppings:

ginger-lime syrup

1/2 cup toasted shredded unsweetened coconut

fresh cilantro

Ginger-Lime Syrup Recipe

Ingredients:

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 cup simple syrup flavored with fresh ginger and lime juice

Method:

Make the simple syrup by boiling 1 cup water with 1 cup granulated white sugar; 1 1/2 to 2-inch knob  fresh ginger sliced thinly and juice of 1 medium lime just until the sugar is fully dissolved

Add in the maple syrup and continue to gently boil until it thickens to a syrup-like consistency but not too thick

Remove from stove and transfer into a bowl

Making the pancakes:

Stir together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl

Whisk together milk, eggs, unsalted butter and coconut milk in a separate bowl

Slowly pour wet ingredients into the dry while whisking into a smooth batter

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat

Spray lightly with cooking spray

Pour 1/3 cup of batter in the pan- you may do two at a time depending on the size of your pan

Cook until bubbly or golden brown on each side then transfer to a serving platter

Repeat the process on the remaining batter

Serving suggestion:

Top the pancakes with a scoop of ricotta cheese and mango cubes.

Drizzle with ginger-lime syrup

Garnish with toasted coconut and cilantro

Enjoy!

These pancakes did not disappoint.  They have all the wonderful textures and flavors enough to make them unique and really delicious.  I will definitely make these again because these pancakes are meant to please.