Baharat Spiced Pancakes with Tangerine Labane

Saturdays are for spiced pancakes with dreamy labane and drizzles of maple syrup.

Saturdays are for relaxing on the patio with the pitter patter of rain, planting baby plants in big pots, and whipping up a spectacular brunch. Kitten snuggles, dancing barefoot in the kitchen, reading Sunset Magazine, and drinking lots of french press coffee and chai tea are welcome.

My dangerously curious cat seems to perk up with each pigeon that flies by as she lounges on the patio. After trips to Hawaii and New Orleans, three weddings in a row, and a huge business conference at work, it feels really good to have a lazy Saturday at home.

I woke up today and immediately knew we would have pancakes. How do you feel about bright orange zest stirred into luxe, creamy labane dolloped on a stack of baharat-spiced pancakes, sprinkled with pomegranate jewels and fresh tangerine supremes, crushed pecans, and a final drizzle of maple syrup? This is a bright and warming fall brunch that will knock your socks off (and impress your brunch guests).

I recently fell in love with baharat. My last trip to Israel included a wallet-denting visit to my very favorite spice shop in Tel Aviv’s Levinski market. I hopped off a bus and wandered the streets by memory, eventually walking through the familiar entrance to Habsush, a family-owned spice shop that I used to frequent when I lived in Tel Aviv. I discovered the shop during my internship with Delicious Israel and soon became a regular. On this trip, I asked Ori – a third-generation spice merchant – to put together whatever they recommended, and I returned to Phoenix with baharat – the most enchanting blend of warming spices and harissa powder that needs a simple drizzle of boiling water to turn into a sumptuous, smokey, spicy sauce. I packed my bags with zaatar, hawaiij, ras el hanout, dukkah, and finely-ground Turkish coffee. Spice heaven.

Baharat is new to me, and it was one of the spices they insisted I try. It’s like pumpkin spice’s Middle Eastern cousin, filled with exotic flavors and the perfect amount of cardamom. It’s at once bright and comforting, curious and familiar. I add baharat to ice cream, roasted carrots, whipped cream, and now – pancakes.

If you make these pancakes with a side of bacon and a crispy-fried sunny side up egg, no one will complain. Promise.

Baharat Spiced Pancakes with Tangerine Labane

Print Recipe

Serves: 2 Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup flour (all purpose or 1:1 gluten free)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
Scant 1/4 cup sugar or sweetener of choice
1 tbsp baharat
1 egg
1/2 cup brewed lukewarm coffee
1/2 cup milk (cow's milk, almond milk, coconut milk - whatever you prefer)
1 tbsp coconut oil
Butter, for frying
Maple syrup, for serving
1/2 cup labane (a Middle Eastern tangy cured kefir yogurt, sub greek yogurt if you can't find labane)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tangerine: zested and cut into supremes, any juices reserved
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
4 pecans, crumbled or chopped

Instructions

Whisk together all dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl or Pyrex measuring up, combine egg, coffee, milk, and coconut oil.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium / medium-low heat.

Whisk wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Add a pat of butter to the pan and spread it around.

Use a ladle to spoon pancake batter into the pan. Once the edges become bubbly, flip the pancakes. I like to keep them warm in the oven as I work my way through the batter.

While your pancakes are cooking, prepare the labane: whisk together labane, tangerine zest, ~1 tbsp reserved tangerine juice, and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Set aside.

Top pancakes with a dollop of tangerine labane, sprinkle of pecans and pomegranate arils, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

To discover Tel Aviv gems like Habshush, I highly recommend tasting your way through Israel’s shuks and open markets on a Delicious Israel tour.