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Recipe Detail Page
Mexican Hotcakes with Cajeta & Hazelnuts
Winter 2016
Hotcakes are a popular street food in Mexico. Similar to the pancakes we know and love, they’re set apart by the sweet toppings offered up alongside. My favourite topping, cajeta, is a spiced goat’s milk caramel that is easy to make and even easier to love. Don’t be dissuaded by the goat’s milk—I’ve yet to feed this to someone who’s disliked it. The addition of toasty hazelnuts offers crunch in an otherwise velvety plate of decadence. Corn flour is also sold as masa harina.
Makes 12 pancakes
CAJETA
8 cups (2 L) whole goat’s milk (3.25% MF)
2 cups (500 mL) sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt
1 cinnamon stick, 4 inches (10 cm) long, preferably Ceylon, or true cinnamon
1 whole vanilla bean
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
HOTCAKES
1 can (370 mL) evaporated milk
2 cups (500 mL) whole milk
3 eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, or 1 stick, divided
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) corn flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
¼ cup (60 mL) sugar
½ cup (125 mL) toasted and skinned hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 For the cajeta, combine the milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a large pot where the liquid level is at least 4 inches (10 cm) from the lip. Split vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and add to pot along with the bean halves. Set over medium heat, stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a simmer.
2 Remove from heat; sprinkle baking soda over milk and whisk until the foaming subsides. Return to heat; bring back to simmer, stirring from time to time to prevent scorching, and cook for about 1 hour or until mixture turns pale golden. Remove and discard the cinnamon and vanilla bean.
3 Continue cooking, stirring frequently now, every 2 minutes or so, and being sure to reach the bottom of the pot, until the mixture turns the colour of rich caramel, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. You should have about 3 cups (750 mL). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (cajeta will keep for 1 month).
4 For the hotcakes, whisk together the evaporated milk, whole milk, eggs and vanilla extract. Melt ¼ cup (60 mL) butter and add to milk mixture; whisk to combine. In a separate large bowl, stir together flour, corn flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Pour wet mixture over and stir until just combined (some lumps will remain).
5 Heat oven to 200°F (100°C).
6 In a large skillet, working in batches of 2 pancakes at a time, melt 2 tsp (10 mL) butter over medium-low. Once foaming, drop ½ cup (125 mL) batter per pancake, on either side of the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until top side of pancakes has bubbled and edges are dry. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes on other side. Remove to a baking sheet and slip into oven while proceeding to make remaining pancakes, refreshing butter in the pan as you go.
7 To serve, pile 2 to 4 warm pancakes per person onto a plate, drizzle a generous amount of chilled cajeta over, and top with a small handful of hazelnuts.
Makes 12 pancakes
