CHAI PANCAKES WITH ROSE PETALS
INGREDIENTS (Makes 8) 375ml milk; 1 chai teabag; half a cinnamon stick; a pinch of saffron; 8 cardamom pods; 2 tbsp caster sugar; 160g self-raising flour, sifted; 2 tsp baking powder; a pinch of salt; 1 egg; 3 tbsp melted butter, plus extra for frying; a handful of chopped pistachios, to serve; edible gold leaf, to serve (optional); pink pearl sugar/sugar nibs, (optional) For crystallised rose petals:
1 egg white; the petals from a pesticide-free rose; caster sugar For the cream: 200ml double cream; 1 tbsp rose syrup, plus extra to serve; 1 tbsp icing sugar
METHOD
1. Prepare the crystallised rose petals a day in advance. Only use roses not treated with chemicals. Whisk the egg white until it forms a foam then paint a thin layer on both the front and the back of each petal and sprinkle it with caster sugar. Ensure all the egg white is coated in sugar, by working on one petal at a time.
Repeat with the remaining petals and put them on a baking sheet in a warm place to dry overnight
then store in an airtight container.
2. For the pancake batter: heat the milk in a saucepan with the chai tea, cinnamon, saffron, cardamom pods and caster sugar. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Discard the teabag and leave the remaining spices in the milk to infuse as it cools.
3. Once cool, remove the cinnamon and cardamom pods. Put the flour, baking powder, salt, egg and spiced milk in a bowl and whisk. Add
the melted butter and whisk again. The batter should have a smooth dropping consistency. Cover and put in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.
4. For the rose cream: In a bowl, whisk the ingredients stiff peaks. Cover and store in the fridge until needed.
5. When ready to serve, remove the batter mixture from the refrigerator and stir once. Put a little butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Ladle small amounts of
batter into the pan, leaving a little space between each. Cook until the underside of each pancake is golden brown and a few bubbles start to appear on the top then turn with a spatula and cook on the other side. 6. Top the pancakes with a spoonful of rose cream and sprinkle with the pistachios, crystallised rose petals, gold leaf and pink pearl sugar/sugar nibs. Drizzle with rose syrup and serve.