There are dishes that don't exactly make up a meal, but then they're not really dessert either. In my family, for example, pancakes or Belgian waffles would be welcomed any time of day, for breakfast, brunch, dinner or as dessert at the end of a meal. All you need is a good frying pan. Just place it over a flame and you're ready to spoil your family. If you happen to have an electric waffle maker, I recommend leaving it out on your countertop – that way it's accessible and ready to be used. And don't forget to make sure you have a variety of seasonal fruits, syrups and whipping cream on hand to be used as toppings. In addition to explaining how to make pancakes and waffles, I've included a recipe for my very own surprise cake. It has one layer of chocolate chips, one with Oreos and meringue kisses, and a brownie base. And if this isn't sweet enough for your taste, you can cut strips and cover them with chocolate. Belgian waffles Makes 12 to 14 waffles Ingredients: ■ 1¾ cups flour (can be mixture of wheat, whole-wheat and spelt flours) ■ 1 package baking powder ■ 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar ■ Pinch salt ■ 100 gr. melted butter ■ 2 large eggs, beaten ■ 1¼ to 1½ cups milk, buttermilk, sour cream or whipping cream ■ 2 tsp. vanilla extract or grated lemon peel ■ Butter for greasing pan For topping: ■ 1 container sweet cream ■ ¼ cup powdered sugar ■ Melted chocolate/ maple syrup/ honey ■ Fresh fruit: apples, pears, grapes, mango, strawberries, bananas, or fresh/frozen berries Directions: Heat pan on stovetop. In a wide bowl, mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. While stirring, add melted butter, beaten eggs, milk or other liquid, and vanilla or lemon peel. Mix vigorously until smooth. Lightly grease pan or griddle. Pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter in each compartment of waffle maker. Close and let cook for a few minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and continue until you've used up all the batter. Don't forget to grease pan or waffle maker before each batch. You can serve the waffles as they are, or you can sprinkle with powdered sugar, pour on maple syrup or chocolate sauce, or top with fresh fruit, whipped cream or ice cream. Pancakes Makes 20 small pancakes Ingredients: ■ 1½ cups flour (can be combination of regular and whole-wheat flour) ■ 1 package baking powder ■ ¼ tsp. salt ■ 3 Tbsp. white or brown sugar ■ 2 eggs ■ 2 cups milk or buttermilk ■ 50 gr. butter, melted ■ Butter or butter flavored spray Toppings: ■ Butter ■ Maple syrup ■ Fresh fruits, cut into bite-size pieces Directions: In a bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well and form a well in the middle of dry mixture. Pour in the rest of the ingredients while mixing vigorously so as to prevent lumps. Let rest for 15 minutes and then stir again. Spray a pan or brush it with melted butter. With a ladle, spoon batter onto pan forming small circles that are evenly spaced. Alternatively, you could pour batter from a pitcher. Be careful not to overcrowd pan. Fry over medium-high flame until a golden ring forms around pancake and bubbles form. Flip pancake and fry for a few more seconds. Transfer to a platter. In the same way, prepare all the pancakes. Don't forget to grease pan between batches. Serve immediately with butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit. Surprise cake This is a cake that kids absolutely love! It has a layer of chocolate chips and is filled with Oreo cookies and meringue kisses. All of this sits on a moist brownie base and is covered with chocolate. Chocolate-chips layer: ■ 150 gr. butter or margarine, at room temperature, cut into cubes ■ ½ cup (100 gr.) brown demerara sugar ■ ¼ cup (50 gr.) white sugar ■ 2 eggs ■ 2 cups (280 gr.) flour, sifted ■ 1 package baking powder ■ ½ tsp. vanilla extract ■ 200 gr. chocolate chips Oreo and meringue layer: ■ 1 package (400 gr.) Oreo cookies ■ 2 cups small meringue kisses Brownie layer: ■ 200 gr. bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces ■ 150 gr. butter ■ ½ cup pecans or walnuts, crushed ■ ½ cup golden brown sugar ■ ½ cup dark brown sugar ■ 3 eggs ■ 1 egg white ■ 1 cup spelt flower, sifted ■ 1 tsp. baking powder ■ 1 tsp. vanilla extract ■ ½ cup milk ■ ½ cup chocolate chips Chocolate frosting: If you prefer, you can forgo chocolate frosting and just sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the cake. ■ 100 gr. milk chocolate, broken into pieces ■ 50 gr. bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces ■ 50 gr. butter, cut into cubes ■ 3 Tbsp. sweet whipping cream For decoration: ■ 2-3 Oreo cookies, crumbled, or small chocolate candies Directions: For the chocolate-chips layer, put the butter and white and brown sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix using dough hook. Gradually add the eggs and mix until smooth. Lower the speed and gradually add the sifted flour, baking powder and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and mix. Line a baking tray with baking paper and transfer batter to tray. Flatten. For the surprise layer, evenly place the Oreo and meringue pieces on top of the chocolate layer. For the brownie layer, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave for a few seconds at a time until melted. Or you could prepare a bain-marie. Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl and then place this on top of a bowl of water that you can boil on the stove top. Mix until smooth. Take off flame (or out of microwave) and mix well. While stirring vigorously, add pecans, golden and brown sugars, eggs and egg white. Mix quickly until smooth. Add spelt flour gradually. Mix well. Add baking powder and vanilla. While mixing, add milk. Pour on top of Oreo layer and flatten. Bake in a preheated oven (180°) for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and dry. Remove and cool. Using baking paper, remove cake from pan and cut with a knife into squares or 3 cm. x 10 to 12 cm. strips. To prepare the icing, melt the two kinds of chocolate and butter in the microwave. Mix until smooth. Add the cream one spoon at a time while mixing vigorously. Pour on top of strips or squares and then top with crushed Oreo cookie pieces or chocolate candies. You can also put the icing inside an icing decorating bag and decorate the cookies with lines or squiggles. Translated by Hannah Hochner.
(photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)