Chocolate berry pancakes with minted yogurt

 

With lots of colds and infections going around, including berries in these types of recipes is a great hack for getting in your 5-a-day.

 

It comes as a new study published in the Clinical Nutrition ESPEN journal concluded that vitamin C-rich berries provide a range of polyphenols including anthocyanins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Polyphenols are known to have antimicrobial properties, as well as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. The study authors go on to explain that berries such as blueberries and raspberries have proven efficacy against certain viral infections.

 

These findings indicate that mixing the type of berries eaten from day-to-day – for example, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries – could help people, including children, get the most benefit.

 

Dr Emma Derbyshire, Public Health Nutritionist and adviser to British Berry Growers commented: “Winter is upon us, bringing with it a flurry of colds and viruses. Children tend to be particularly susceptible as their immunity is only just starting to build and they typically learn and play in close circles.

 

“Incorporating fresh fruits into their diets, such as berries, is a great way to boost children’s vitamin C intake and benefit from the antimicrobial and anti-viral properties that berries are increasingly becoming known for.”

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes Standing time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes

Pancakes

100 g (4 oz) plain flour

15 g (1/2 oz) cocoa

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus extra for frying

250 ml (8 fl oz) semi skimmed milk

Filling

170g carton fat free Greek yogurt

142 g (41/2 oz) small carton ready made long-life custard

4 teaspoons fresh chopped mint

175 g (6 oz) raspberries

225g (8 oz) strawberries, sliced

50g (2 oz) dark chocolate, optional

1) To make the pancakes, sift the flour and cocoa into a bowl, add the egg and egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of the oil then gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Leave to stand for 15 minutes.

2) For the filling, mix the yogurt, custard and chopped mint together. Mix the berries together in a separate bowl. Melt the chocolate if using to decorate, in a bowl set over a small saucepan of gently simmering water.

3) To cook the pancakes, heat a little oil in the base of an 18 cm (7 inch), pour the excess out of the pan into a bowl then add 2-3 tablespoons of the pancake batter to the pan, tilt pan to swirl the batter over the base in a thin layer then cook until browned on the underside. Turn the pancake over and cook the second side then slide out of pan and keep hot on a plate while you cook the remaining mixture until you have 8 pancakes.

Fold the pancakes into quarters, spoon in the yogurt mix and berries, arrange in pairs on serving plates and drizzle with melted chocolate, if using. Serve immediately.