When I was growing up, my mom would often make carrots in the oven cooked with butter and dill. I loved them back then, but after experimenting over the years with different herbs, spices, and fats, the version I almost always make is this one: with olive oil, coarse salt, cumin, and just a hint of cinnamon. The natural sugars in the carrots caramelize and brown a bit in a hot oven, and the sweetness is balanced out by the spice and the salt.

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My friend Lori raved about a french toast panini she had at a restaurant in the Hamptons,  called the Elvis. She described it as “2 slices of french toast peanut butter and bananas inside, smooshed together in a panini press.” I was sold on the idea, and she had just had a baby so I was trying to be nice and stuff because having a baby is hard. So I offered to try and recreate it, with a few twists of course.

This is a pretty heavy dish, obviously- sweet and filling. It’s definitely more of a Sunday brunch than a 7 AM weekday kind of thing. Mostly because you’ll go into a food coma after eating it and might need to lie down.

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When I was but a youthful lass of 22, I worked at the fabulous Extraordinary Desserts in San Diego for about a year. If you’re ever in San Diego, I highly recommend stopping there for one of their scones (the best I’ve ever tasted, to be sure) or to dazzle your friends with one of their heart-stoppingly gorgeous cakes. I learned a lot there, but probably the most important thing I learned was that the way to a good bread pudding is simple: make creme brulee mixture and don’t use regular bread. This opens up a realm of delicious and easily adaptable flavor possibilities and combinations that are blissfully simple to make, as well as very forgiving.

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It’s a yucky, wet, rainy Tuesday right now and I am reminiscing about a lovely sunny Saturday a few weeks back when I made these pancakes to share with friends. I wanted to use a combination of white flour and whole grain flour, because while I love the health benefits of whole grains I feared that going 100% whole grain would yield spiced blueberry rocks as opposed to pancakes. I opted for oat flour, which really shines in this recipe- it doesn’t have all the heft of whole wheat flour, but it’s got a nice texture and flavor while offering that whole grain goodness.

I love the combination of berries and oranges, so I incorporated both orange zest and juice into the batter, along with some vanilla yogurt for tang and sweetness. Using the yogurt, which I always have on hand, also prevented me from buying a quart of buttermilk and only using 1 cup, then letting the rest rot in my fridge… which is what has happened every single time I have ever bought buttermilk in my entire life, without fail. Seriously, it’s a real problem.

You should feel free to play with the spices or flavors in this recipe to mix it up. Other combinations that would be delicious would be…

• replace the orange with lemon, and replace blueberries with raspberries
• replace the orange with lime, and replace blueberries with blackberries, omit the cinnamon, and add toasted coconut
• keep the orange and replace blueberries with chocolate chunks, with or without the cinnamon and ginger (I’d keep ‘em in)
• keep all as is but add chopped toasted nuts and/or a handful of granola in the batter

Spiced Orange Blueberry Pancakes
serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• zest of 2 oranges
• 2 cups vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 pint blueberries, rinsed and dried
• butter for pan, and to serve

Method:

• Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
• Add orange zest, yogurt, juice, egg, and butter and stir to combine. (Batter may be lumpy.)
• Heat skillet over medium heat and add a small dollop of butter (about a teaspoon.) When butter bubbles, pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake. Sprinkle about 8-10 blueberries over each pancake.
• When pancake is golden on the bottom, flip and cook the other side until done.
• Repeat with remaining batter. To keep warm while cooking, you can put the cooked pancakes in a 175 degree oven while you’re finishing up.
• Serve warm with maple syrup and butter.