Hard to believe I was in Berlin just less than 2 weeks ago for this shoot, especially since I’m already back in flight while writing this post! Headed to New York for my food styling and photography workshop and can’t wait! Make sure to follow along on social media and watch the event hashtag #autumnretreatny so you can follow along with everyone’s posts during the few days we will be together creating.
My time in Berlin was short and sweet, but oh so sweet. A highlight of this trip was when Eva and I spent dinner with Nora and Laura of Food Stories, then meeting up again for a beautiful gathering and shoot in their stunning studio before we left. I’ve loved following Laura and Nora’s work for some time now, and it was oh so lovely to meet in person. They are true gems and make sure to follow their work if you haven’t yet!
This recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes topped with Apple Compote & Caramelized Rosemary Nuts was a truly collaborative project, with all of us contributing to the recipes as you’ll see below! Nora made the most delicious, light and fluffy gluten free pumpkin pancakes and I made a chai spiced apple compote, and Eva made her famous caramelized rosemary nuts! Laura’s addition of fresh pomegranate seeds, figs & coconut yogurt was the perfect completion to a well stacked plate at the breakfast table.
Just in case you missed last week’s post, make sure to check out the 2nd shoot Eva and I did with our other sweet friend in Berlin, Marta Greber from What For Breakfast. We enjoyed a savory breakfast pumpkin pie together in the countryside a ways outside Berlin and it was a magical morning.
Lastly, if you haven’t already enjoyed quite enough pumpkin recipe inspiration, make sure to check out a really cool collection of pumpkin recipes on social media, noted under the hashtag, #virtualpumpkinparty – SO GOOD!! Have a lovely week and let me know if you make this recipe!
Pumpkin pancakes Recipe by Food Stories Makes about 20 pancakes Apple Compote Recipe by Christiann Koepke Makes about 2 cups compote Caramelized Rosemary Nuts Recipe by Eva Kosmas Flores Makes about 1 cup Additional Toppings:Pumpkin Pancakes topped with Apple Compote & Caramelized Rosemary Nuts
start preparing your pumpkin puree: cut off a bit of the top and bottom of your pumpkin, then quarter the pumpkin and remove the inner parts. bake quarters at 200 degrees celsius top/bottom on a baking sheet until they are tender – about 30-40min (leave oven on, but switch to 100 degrees – to keep your pancakes warm until you serve them). pumpkin pancake batter: melt the butter. puree baked/steamed pumpkin (with skin, because the hokkaido skin is edible) and puree with ½ cup milk. separate eggs and beat egg whites 1 min until fluffy, then add the sugar while beating and beat for 2min longer. beat the egg yolks for 1min until creamy, beat in the melted butter, then the milk and in the end the pumpkin purée until everything is well combined. blend dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg). stir dry ingredients into pumpkin-egg-milk-mixture just until combined (use a whisk or silicone spatula). in the end fold in gently the beaten egg white in 3 portions. heat a pan with coconut oil and brown pancakes from both sides (you can use an ice cream scoop – right amount of batter and easy to shape the pancakes), then place in the oven until all pancakes are done. serve pancakes with coconut yoghurt, apple compote, caramelized rosemary nuts, pomegranate seeds, figs and maple syrup (or whatever you prefer). apple compote In small saucepan, heat water to simmer. Add tea bags and secure strings to side of pan for easy removal at a later time. After tea is allowed to steep for about 3 minutes, add star anise, cinnamon, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir to incorporate and then add apples. Stir again and allow to simmer on low heat with no lid for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Allow to cook until liquid has reduced and mixture is slightly thick. Remove from heat and lift out tea bags. Serve warm and store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 10 days. candied nuts Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large frying pan. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the sugar melts, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring every minute. Add the nuts and cook until they are toasted and very fragrant, about 8 minutes, stirring every minute. If the pan begins smoking, remove it from the heat and stir it until it stops smoking, then place it back over the heat and continue stirring every minute until the nuts are sufficiently toasted. Empty the pan contents onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spread the nuts mixture out evenly using a spatula. Immediately sprinkle with the rosemary, salt, and chili. Allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, break apart any large chunks of nuts into individual nuts and serve.
