Sweet Potato Pancakes + Peaches and Pecans

Anytime someone raves about something great they've eaten or are about to eat these days, I think, Now I've got to make that. At the downtown farmers market on Saturday morning, a coworker of mine was so excited about going to the Arcade in order to have their sweet potato pancakes for breakfast. She raved about them, and I just had to have some, too...some from my kitchen.

The bushel of sweet potatoes we bought from the Bennett-Burks Farm guys in November is dwindling, but I swear, they got sweeter the longer we stored them. I boiled four small ones and adapted this recipe from this really easy one. (I didn't know that sweet potato pancakes were considered a Southern thing, but then again, I also learned this week that the tea cakes we always ate when I was growing up are a Southern phenomenon, too.) These pancakes even won over TCV himself; finally, I hit on a healthy-ish pancake recipe that works for all. There was a silkiness to them that was way different from the usual buttermilks or buckwheats.

The first Jones Orchard peaches are out now, and wow, they're small in size at this point, but they're so full of flavor. We just macerated them with some cane sugar and lemon for a bit and then dry toasted the pecans in a skillet.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

(makes about 15 pancakes)

1 large sweet potatoes (about 1 cups)

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup vegan margarine or butter, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3 tablespoon cane sugar

3 1/2  teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

Toppings:
2 cups diced peaches

1 cup pecans (Toast them by spreading them in a single layer on a plate and microwaving them a minute at a time until fragrant; then coarsely chop them when they've cooled.)

maple syrup (to serve)

Cut sweet potatoes into quarters. Boil the sweet potatoes on medium-high for about 15 minutes in a saucepan with enough water to just cover. Carefully test them with a fork because when they're soft, they're ready. Pour potatoes into a colander and run cold water over them. Once they've cooled, pull off the skins. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the potatoes well in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, and margarine to them, and set this aside.

Now whisk all the all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg together in a separate medium mixing bowl and add to the sweet potato mixture. (Add a bit more milk to the batter if it's too thick.) Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter onto a buttered medium non-stick pan and allow it to cook until the top looks like it has set (about 3 minutes). Flip and allow pancake to cook for another minute. Repeat until all batter has been used. 

To serve, pile a few pancakes on a plate, top with peaches, and add a few chopped pecans.