Archive Recipe: Barley Pancakes

This recipe for Barley Pancakes with Orange Juice and Vanilla has been the most commonly viewed recipe in The Messy Apron Archives for several years. I hope that a lot of you who have visited that post have also tried and enjoyed this ultimately yummy breakfast recipe. The warm, earthy, malty taste of whole grain barley flour deserves to be considered for popular appreciation, and a nice batch of pancakes is a simple and satisfying way to give it a chance.

I received a super-generous gift of homemade maple syrup from my cousin recently, which I took as a sign from the Universe that I needed to get back to this pancake recipe. Great syrup deserves great pancakes! And, if nothing else, such a popular recipe deserves some new photo images, hopefully better ones than what I was able to capture back in 2011. Really, though, the fact that these are just really, really good pancakes should be enough reason for me to be making them more often than I do. I feel a considerable amount of shame.

I don’t see any reason to mess around with this recipe, so I have presented it here as I did originally. Perhaps these pancakes would also be great with some grated orange zest mixed into the batter (grate the zest off the orange before squeezing it for the juice in the recipe), or maybe with some finely chopped walnuts or pecans sprinkled onto each pancake as it cooks. I haven’t tried these variations yet. If you get a chance to before I do, be sure to tell me how delicious they are!

I don’t know that I will ever really run out of new recipes to try, whether they’re good candidates for a The Messy Apron post or not. I’m finding that I do need to exercise some caution, however, as I explore and report on those new horizons. It would be a real shame to lose track of all my good old favorite recipes, or to never revisit something truly delicious. And a warm malty pancake scented with orange and vanilla should be revisited as often as possible.

Barley Pancakes with Orange Juice and Vanilla
Adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking

6 ounces by weight (about 170 g) whole barley flour (about 1 ½ cups)
2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) baking soda
¾ (about 3 ml) teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons (1 ½ ounces by weight or 40 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons (30 ml) honey
¾ cup (6 fluid ounces or 175ml) milk
½ cup (4 fluid ounces or 125 ml) fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

1. Preheat an electric griddle to 300 F (150 C) (or preheat a skillet or griddle on the stove over medium heat.) In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the barley flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. In another medium-size bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Slowly whisk in the butter. Whisk in the honey. Whisk in the milk, orange juice and vanilla.

3. Pour the egg mixture over the barley flour mixture and stir until just combined. Spray the heated pan with cooking spray or brush it with oil or butter. Spoon or pour about ¼ cup (50 ml) of the pancake batter for each (4-inch or 10 cm) pancake, placing as many on the pan as will fit with room to spread and flip. Cook the pancakes until they are brown on the pan side 3-4 minutes. Flip the pancakes with a spatula and cook on the other side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes more.

4. Keep completed pancakes warm in the oven until ready to serve. Serve with butter and maple syrup, or other favorite pancake accompaniments.

Makes about 12 (3 ½ -4-inch) pancakes.

Other recipes like this one: Barley Flour Scones, Light Wheat and Cinnamon Waffles, Orange Millet Waffles, Butter Pecan Pancakes

Fudgy Mint Brownies

 

There isn’t anything really new or exciting about this recipe. What am I saying? A pan of good brownies is always exciting! And I find this recipe especially great because it’s quick and easy, makes a smaller batch (an 8-inch square pan), and can be varied endlessly

I made this particular batch a bit minty by sandwiching a package of Andes mint candies between two layers of mint-scented batter before baking. The candies bake into a barely descernable vein of extra chocolate and mint. It’s gooey while the brownies are still a bit warm, and it firms up to a give a bit of a candy bar bite to the brownies when they are cool. I think you could really kick this up by contributing a second package of Andes to that delicious center layer.

That being said, I find the level of peppermint to be lovely in this version of brownie. Of course, you could sandwich other candies in the middle of your brownie batter, like peppermint patties (such as York), chocolate covered caramels (such as Rolos), peanut butter cups, or even something with crunch like Kit Kats or Butterfingers. These brownies are even flavorful enough on their own with no additions, or you could stir in some walnuts, pecans, or milk, dark, or white chocolate pieces.

This batter goes together quite simply in a saucepan. Since it starts with a stick of butter and some unsweetened chocolate that are melted together, it only makes sense to save on dirty dishes and stir the rest of the ingredients right in. After that, it’s just a matter of getting the batter into a pan and baking. Practically instant gratification.

It truly is a wonder that for something that requires no special skills, techniques, or equipment, a darkly fudgy brownie is so uniquely satisfying. A really wonderful wonder!

Fudge Mint Brownies

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Leave out the peppermint extract for a more traditional brownie, then swap anything you like for the Andes mint candy layer, or add your favorite mix-ins.

½ cup butter

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon peppermint extract

1 package (28 pieces) Andes mints, unwrapped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a medium-size saucepan, combine the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Heat over low to medium-low heat, stirring frequently until the butter and chocolate are completely melted. Continue to stir until the mixture is very smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together to combine. Set aside.

4. Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture until well-combined. Add the eggs one at a time and stir them in vigorously until just combined. (I use a rubber spatula, but a wooden spoon would work as well.) Stir in the vanilla and peppermint extracts.

5. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture, stirring just until smooth.

6. Spoon about ½ of the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing it out to cover the bottom of the pan evenly. Arrange the Andes mint candies evenly over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the candies and spread to smooth the top.

7. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the brownies appears dry and a wooden pick inserted into the brownies (not the candies) comes out with just moist crumbs attached. The brownies should still be quite moist and fudgy. Cool on a wire rack and cut into squares.

Makes 9-16 brownies (depending on the size you wish to cut them).

Other recipes like this one: Cocoa Chocolate Chip Brownies, Irish Cream Brownies, Mint Chocolate Cookies, Peppermint Brownie Pie

Featured Ingredients: Fresh Herbs

One of the most exciting ways that I have improved the flavors coming out of my kitchen is cooking and baking with fresh herbs. The most satisfying way to begin that improvement has been to grow the herbs myself. Not only does that make it possible to pop wonderful and unique flavors into anything on demand, its also more economical. For the price of a container of fresh herbs (or, sometimes, not-so-fresh herbs) I can buy an herb plant or a package of herb seeds. Just a bit of care, and those plants can give me fresh flavors at my fingertips for months.

In a good year I grow a wide variety of herbs, and now I find a fairly long list of them to be essential: chives, sage, thyme, cilantro, oregano, parsley, dill, tarragon, rosemary, and different varieties of basil and mint. I’ve also had fun with summer savory and sweet stevia. This year, I’m happy to say that I’ve already got a bit of a starter kit going (Yay!), and so I’ve been perusing The Messy Apron Archives for recipes to kick-start a new season of cooking.

I have compiled a pared-down list of favorite recipes that feature fresh herbs. There’s quite a variety here: noodle dishes, soup, sauces, salads and baked goods. All have the vibrant flavors only fresh herbs can bring to a dish.

The simplest, and sometimes laziest, dishes are simple pasta dishes with noodles and often additional vegetables tossed with herbs. This post features more of a widely-applicable method rather than a recipe, my go-to method for quick suppers from late spring to early fall. 

 

I also love Asparagus and Pasta with Balsamic Tarragon Sauce and Bacon in the spring,

Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Basil in the summer,

 

And Warm Noodles with Cilantro and Coconut Lime Dressing just about any time of year. (Cilantro, along with parsley, is actually easily and affordably sourced in supermarkets.)

 

If you can get garlic scapes in the spring, this Pasta Carbonara with Garlic Scapes and Garlic Chives is a delicious way to use them.

Herbs are also fantastic ingredients for jazzing up beans, which I cook with all the time. White Beans with Sage and Garlic is the first recipe I make when I feel like my sage plant has grown large enough to sacrifice plenty of leaves.

 

When I have herbs and the weather is cool, either in spring or fall, I make White Bean Soup with Fresh Herbs.

Toss cold beans with herbs, vinaigrette and a few other favorite ingredients and you get something delicious like White Bean Salad with Green Olives and Tarragon.

 

For an even simpler salad, there’s Fresh Peas with Mint.

When I have a bumper crop of herbs, I make pesto. There are four herb-based pesto varieties in The Archives, and I love them all: Basic Basil Pesto, Spinach Chive Pesto, Parsley Hazelnut Pesto, and Spicy Cilantro Mint Pesto.

If you need a dip instead of a sauce, there’s Garlic and Herb Vegetable Dip, which can feature just about any herb you like.

Or, there’s Spicy Eggplant Dip with Basil and Mint.

Finally, you surely can bake with fresh herbs as well. Tomato or grilled cheese sandwiches are fabulous on this Whole Wheat Cornmeal Bread with Basil

 

And Lemon, Lime and Basil Cookies are a fabulous sweet treat with which to celebrate your fresh herb crop.

I can’t wait to dive into these favorites as well as vary some of them with different herbs and other ingredients. Of course, there are plenty of new recipes to try, and I no longer have to put off the ones that feature fresh herbs. I’ve got fresh herbs at my fingertips!