Strawberry Japanese Soufflé Pancakes #SundayFunday

This week Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm asked the Sunday Funday writers to celebrate Candlemas. I had never hear of that, but was more than excited to learn about it and make a dish for the occasion.

Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Sue of Palatable Pastime, Rebekah of Making Miracles, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm coordinate this low-stress group; we only participate when we are inspired. Wendy is hosting this week. She invited us to celebrate Candlemas.

Thankfully she explained what that is. "Candlemas is a Christian Celebration of the presentation of Jesus at the temple. Traditionally, candles were blessed to be used in homes throughout the year. Today, the candles used in the church are blessed on this day. People traditionally eat pancakes on Candlemas because the round shape and golden color of the pancake symbolize the sun, representing the return of light and the coming of spring after the winter months." Here's our line-up...

• Brown Butter Sourdough Waffles by Food Lust People Love

• Lefse by Amy's Cooking Adventures

• Pancake Puffs by Our Good Life

• Roasted Vegetable Crepes by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Sourdough Pancakes by Karen's Kitchen Stories

• Strawberry Japanese Soufflé Pancakes by Culinary Cam (you're here)

For years, pancakes were the bane of my culinary existence. I just couldn't make fluffy American pancakes to save my life. Mine were flat and dense...except at altitude. When we are in the mountains, my pancakes were great. So, I contented myself and my hungry trio with pancakes from all around the world. We have made...

Pannkakor which are Swedish crêpes. When I first read the title on a list of South African cuisine, I expected something more like the Dutch pannekoeken; I have written about pannekoeken before: here's a Savory Pannekoeken. And we make crêpes - French versions, Danish versions, and even Italian versions - often!

I did finally master fluffy buttermilk pancakes. You can watch that on the CulinaryCam YouTube channel...

But, my guys didn't allow me to celebrate my culinary victory for too long. D immediately declared, "Good job, Mom. Now I think you need to figure out how to make Japanese Soufflé Pancakes." I have never even heard of them. But I ordered up the ring molds and got to work. The first time I made them, they were delicious, but ugly. The second time, was better, but my technique still wasn't quite right. By the fourth time, my family declared that I had figured it out..."and so much faster than it took for American pancakes." Ha. So true.

Okay...here we go.

Strawberry Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

Ingredients

makes 6 pancakes

• 4 egg whites and 2 egg yolks from 4 large eggs, separated and chilled

• 6 Tablespoons organic granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 6 Tablespoons cake flour

• ¼ cup milk, chilled (I used whole milk)

• ½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 Tablespoon dehydrated strawberries, crushed plus more for serving

• Unsalted butter, for greasing and serving

• Also needed: ring molds; skillet; organic powdered sugar; unsweetened whipped cream; macerated berries (such as these)

Procedure

Place egg whites in a medium mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and salt. Beat until foamy. Then add in 5 Tablespoons of granulated sugar - one Tablespoon at a time - until peaks are glossy and stiff.

Place egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the remaining 1 Tablespoon of granulated sugar, vanilla, and baking powder. Whisk in the flour, crushed dehydrated strawberries, and milk until fully blended. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the egg yolks, taking care not to deflate the meringue.

Heat a skillet over the lowest heat and grease the pan and the inside of the ring molds. Once the pan is heated - when droplets of water steam off the pan - place the ring molds on the skillet. Pour 1/2 cup of batter into each of the molds. cover the rings with a lid or tent with foil. Cook until the batter is puffed and almost firm, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Then, using a spatula, carefully flip the ring mold to the other side and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. The pancakes should spring back when pressed gently. Run a knife around the inside of the mold and transfer pancakes to a serving dish. Unmold carefully and repeat until all of the batter has been used.

Garnish with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and more crushed dehydrated strawberries. Serve with macerated berries and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve immediately.

That's a wrap on my offering for the #SundayFunday pancake event. We'll be back next week with potato recipes. Stay tuned.