Wake up to Aloha

Recipe by Michael Andres - 2022 Great Griddle Off Contestant

Serves 2-3

Time: 45 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients:

For the Pancakes:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 dragon fruit, puréed then strained.
• 1/2 cup Ube Hayala (bought at my local Asian market

For the Crème Anglaise:

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 (2-inch) piece vanilla bean, split
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Make the pancake batter. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Slowly mix in the buttermilk, milk, eggs, and butter. Mix until a slightly lumpy batter is formed.
2. Divide the pancake batter evenly between 2 bowls. Add the dragon fruit purée to one bowl and the Ube Hayala to the other. Whisk the batters separately. You should have 2 very vibrant pancake batters.
3. Prepare the Crème Anglaise. Combine milk and cream in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean than add bean. Bring milk mixture to simmer. Take off heat.
4. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Stir over low heat until custard thickens about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain sauce into bowl.
5. Preheat Blackstone griddle to medium low pancakes. Spoon out the pancake batter 1/3 cup at a time, alternating between the two batters. Cook the pancakes until bubbles are formed at the top and the batter sets. Remove the pancakes from the griddle.
6. To serve: Layer the pancakes by alternating between the pink dragon fruit cakes and the purple ube ones. Top with warm Crème Anglaise and serve immediately.