Caramelized Dragon Plum Rye Pancakes

Good morning, you beautiful people.  No time for small talk. Today is my man’s birthday and this is what he woke up to.

I twisted up my Make Ahead Whole Wheat Yeast Pancake recipe (which is what I always have prepared for anyone in my family’s birthday) and made them with rye flour instead (no white flour in these puppies- incredibly fiber and nutrient rich!), and I studded them with ruby red slices of dragon plums that I caramelized in brown sugar and butter.

And I served them with some crispy patties of our favorite sausage- Neese’s, which just so happens to be from our great state of North Carolina.  (We Prefer the Extra Sage Country Sausage).

Then drizzled it all with some local maple syrup.

Basically, I’m not exaggerating when I say these are fan-flippin-tastic.

So far, I’m winning his birthday.  And it’s only gonna get better from here.

Happy birthday, baby.  You are my everything. xo

CARAMELIZED DRAGON PLUM RYE PANCAKES

(See my original recipe for the ‘make ahead whole wheat yeast pancakes’ here, and read about what makes them so awesome.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the following…

• 2 1/4 cup rye flour (buy in bulk from Amazon HERE, or find at most grocery stores)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, rounded
• 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Whisk to combine.

In a glass, microwave safe mixing/measuring bowl, combine the following…

• 2 cups whole buttermilk (not skim, and as authentic as you can find)
• 4 TB unsalted butter, diced

Microwave this for about 2 minutes, or until the butter has melted completely.  The buttermilk will foam and thicken a bit, but that’s completely normal.

Whisk this into the dry ingredients until fully combined.

Then, whisk in, one at a time…

• 3 large eggs

Once the batter is smooth, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and refrigerate for up to 4 days before making pancakes.  (Again, see original post for more details on that)

Now, for the dragon plums…

Once you’re ready to make the pancakes, thinly slice 4 dragon plums / pluots / plumcots (or any stone fruit, for that matter)

Add 1 TB unsalted butter to your heated griddle (I always have mine at medium heat, and preheated for at least 10 minutes before I start cooking my pancakes)

Spread the butter around, allow it to melt and begin to bubble/brown.

Add your thin slices of dragon plums, making sure they’re all placed over the melted butter.

Sprinkle the tops with a little light brown sugar.

Flip once the bottoms have browned a bit.

Repeat with more brown sugar and a sprinkling of kosher salt.

Remove from the griddle, set aside.

Make your pancakes, a couple at a time, depending on the size of your griddle.

Allow the pancakes to almost cook completely on the first side so they set and won’t spread before adding the plums, then top the exposed, raw side with 3-4 plum slices.

Once the pancake surface has bubbles that have popped, you know it’s time to flip.

Carefully flip each pancake, now with the plum slices facing down.

Cook until done.

Serve with your favorite (real) maple syrup and some griddled Neese’s Extra Sage Country Sausage if you’d like.

Enjoy!!