Pancake House Worthy Strawberry Pancakes

I have been reading my way through the Dream Harbor series by Laurie Gilmore. The most recent book of the series is The Strawberry Patch Pancake House. Just like the other books in the series it is a sweet read. The characters in this book really develop and mature. They both had different dreams but life has a way of changing them. For these characters they really had to learn how to deal with changing life plans.

Archer is the MMC of the book and I feel he had to accept change more than any other character in the book or the series so far. He is new to Dream Harbor. He is in Dream Harbor because he learns he has a daughter that he needs to take guardianship of, after the mother passed away. Archer never knew about the daughter and lived in another country prior to coming to Dream Harbor. He had dreams of becoming a Michelin star chef. As he got to know his daughter and live in the town he realized that it is okay for his plans to change.

Iris is the FMC and she goes through similar transformation as Archer. She is more of a drifter with no set plan. She was born and raised in Dream Harbor with no real career path. She loves her job with senior citzens and the local Y but never really saw herself working with children. When she is between jobs and apartments the opportunity to become a Nanny to Archer's daughter becomes available. Iris is not sure at first about the opportunity but decides to try it since it offers a place to live and she can still work at the Y while Olive is in school. Iris always had the intention of leaving but there are moments were she thinks that maybe kids are not that bad. She would often think that maybe she could stay on as Olive's Nanny for longer than she originally thought.

As Iris and Archer navigate their new living arrangements, and life realizations, they become closer. Throughout the book Archer is up late trying to perfect the town's pancake recipe. While he was staying in Dream Harbor he took a chef position at the local diner. He started off feeling that the job was beneath him and could not understand everyone's obsession with the old pancake recipe. He struggled with the recipe becuase it was never left behind for him. Iris often helped taste his pancake recipes. They would share each other secrets and get to know each other. Their new relationship was an adjustment because it came with the epiphony that they could settle down. Iris was a lot more scared by that realization than Archer.

These pancakes were an obivious recipe to make for this book. Archer was always trying to perfect the pancake recipe while also trying to make them gourmet. His efforts were not favored by the town. They were used to traditional pancakes and traditional pancake flavors. Archer started listening to the town folks and to the pancakes they wanted to see on the menu. He would make them and even name them after the townspeople. His daughter loved strawberry pancakes. It is obvioius why the diner is renamed the Strawberry Patch Pancake House.

I wanted to make my own strawberry pancakes but with a little bit of flare. One day while talking to my brother about the different rcipes I wanted to try the strawberry pancakes came up. I told him my original thought and he said what about stuffing the pancakes with the strawberry compote I was originally going to make. I then remembered all the Nutella stuffed pancake recipes I have seen and thought stuffing the Nutella and the strawberries would be a great combination.

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Strawberry and Nutella Stuffed Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup oat flour (or blended oats)

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• pinch of salt

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries

For the stuffing

• 1-2tbsp of Nutella

• Extra chopped strawberries for layering

Directions

Step 1: Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk egg, milk and vanilla. Combine and stir until smooth, then fold in chopped strawberries.

Step 2: Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Using cooking spray to lightly grease the skillet.

Step 3: Pour a small scoop of batter into the skillet. Quickly add 1tbsp of Nutella and some chopped strawberries. Then pour more pancake batter on top, smoothing it out with a spoon so that it covers the Nutella and strawberries.

Step 4: Cook 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Repeat for the rest.

This recipe makes about 3 pancakes depending on the size you make the pancakes.