by Crystal Schlueter
Several years ago, cinnamon roll pancakes were trending on social media. I couldn’t help but think they would be even better with potica filling. I made them with my favorite yeast pancake recipe which makes super soft, fluffy pancakes, but you could use regular pancake batter or even a box mix, if preferred. I made too much potica filling, so I used the excess for potica compound butter. The recipe makes more than enough butter, so you can save any that’s left over for spreading over real slices of potica.
Potica Pancakes with Potica Compound Butter
Ingredients:
Pancakes:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 envelope (0.25 ounces) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) melted unsalted butter, slightly cooled
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Potica filling (see below)
1 stick of unsalted butter for greasing the pan
Canola oil, as needed
Warm honey for drizzling, if desired
Potica Filling:
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup whole milk
1 pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups ground walnuts (from about 3 cups of walnut halves)
Potica Compound Butter:
2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups potica filling, divided
1 pinch of salt
Ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions:
Pancakes:
In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk to 100–110 degrees F, stirring often. Pour the milk into a mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 15 minutes or until foamy. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Beat well. Stir in the butter and 2 cups of flour. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Once ready to cook, stir the batter to deflate. Mix the potica pancake filling with 1/2 cup of flour (mix in the flour after removing the 1 1/4 cups for the compound butter). Place the filling into a pastry bag and snip off enough of the tip to make a pea-sized hole. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat with a little oil. Working with 1/4 cup of batter at a time, make 1-2 oval-shaped pancakes at a time. Cook until bubbles rise to the surface and the batter appears matte, then pipe on swirls of filling. Quickly flip the pancakes and cook for another 30 seconds or until set. Lower the heat if necessary, and add additional butter and oil, as needed. Serve with compound butter and warmed honey, if desired.
Yield: 14 pancakes.
Potica Filling:
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add the brown sugar, honey, eggs, and cinnamon. Beat well. Stir in the milk and salt. Place back over medium heat and bring to simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary. Cook until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture coats the back of a spoon, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and nuts. Cool completely. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of the filling and set aside for the compound butter. Use the remaining filling for the pancakes.
Potica Compound Butter:
In a large bowl, beat together the butter with 1/2 cup of potica filling and a pinch of salt. Place sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray. Spread the butter over the parchment into a 6x10 inch rectangle. Use a small spatula to gently spread the filling over the butter. Refrigerate the butter for 10-15 minutes or until it is still soft but just starting to set. Starting from a short end, carefully roll the butter, peeling off the paper as you roll. Use a rubber scraper to help coax the roll long. Once you get to the end, roll the log in the paper and flatten slightly. Chill until firm. Remove the parchment paper and rub the outside of the log with cinnamon, shaking off excess. Cut into 1/4 inch slices before serving.
Notes:
If you wish to make the batter ahead, chill the risen batter overnight. Once ready to make the pancakes, remove the batter from the refrigerator and stir. The batter can be cooked cold or left out at room temperature for 1 hour. If making the filling ahead, store it in the refrigerator. Re-warm it slightly before proceeding with the recipe. These pancakes also freeze and reheat very well.
