American Style Blueberry and Orange Pancakes {For Breakfast or Dessert}

In honour of Independence Day here's an easy recipe for American Style Blueberry and Orange Pancakes. Orange juice adds natural sweetness, so less sugar is needed, and orange zest gives a zingy fresh flavour. I like to mix wholemeal flour and white flour as it's more healthy and also gives a slight nutty flavour.

Blueberry and Orange Pancakes make a perfect lazy weekend breakfast served with fresh blueberries and orange slices. Personally, I think they are sweet enough, but if you have a sweet tooth you can drizzle over some honey or syrup. You can also serve the pancakes warm with ice-cream or Greek yoghurt for a quick dessert.

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American Style Blueberry and Orange Pancakes

• Time:  10 mins prep + 15 mins cooking (roughly)

• Makes: Around 14

• Cost:  13p per pancake (based on 14 pancakes)

• Calories:  94 per pancake (based on 14 pancakes)

Ingredients:

• 150g self-raising white flour

• 50g wholemeal self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 50g caster sugar

• 1 egg, whisked

• 250ml skimmed milk

• Juice of 1 large orange (or 100ml of fresh orange juice)

• Zest of 1 orange (optional)

• 150g blueberries

• A little sunflower oil for frying

• To serve (some ideas): blueberries, orange slices, honey or syrup, Greek yoghurt

Method:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the egg, milk, juice and zest in a jug. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Using a whisk, carefully mix the liquid ingredients in the centre of the bowl incorporating a little of the flour as you go. Do not over mix or your pancakes will be tough instead of fluffy.

2. Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Use a wedge of kitchen roll to soak up any excess oil. You can use the kitchen roll to re-grease the pan between batches. Spoon one tablespoon of the pancake batter into the pan and use the spoon to carefully and quickly spread it into a small round circle approximately 12-15cm diameter. Drop a few blueberries into the top of your pancake and carefully push them down into the batter (see picture below left). Depending on the size of your pan you can make more than one pancake at a time.

3. Fry the blueberry and orange pancakes over a medium to low heat for about two minutes on each side until golden flipping once. You'll know when they are ready to turn because the top of the pancake will be covered with bubbles and the batter will look 'set' rather than raw and runny (see picture below right). Don't be tempted to turn up the heat or the pancakes will burn and not cook through. It might take a few attempts to get right, so don't be disheartened if you have to chuck the first one or two.

4. Serve warm with blueberries, orange slices and syrup if you like.