Big Sur Bakery Cookbook - Michelle Wojtowicz [10]
Combine the nine-grain mix, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds in a bowl. Bring 1 ¼ cups water to a boil, and pour it over the grains and seeds. Let them soak for 30 minutes or until they’re soft.
Place the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and oats in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine, and make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, whisk together the molasses, buttermilk, egg yolks, the grain and seed mixture, and ½ cup of the cooked brown rice. Pour the liquid mixture into the well, and combine with a wooden spoon.
In an electric mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whites into the flour mixture. (You can hold the batter in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it, but keep in mind that the sooner you bake the pancakes, the lighter they’ll be.)
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Preheat two 9-inch cast-iron skillets in the oven for 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to each pan and swirl it around to coat the pan. Pour one fourth of the batter into each pan, transfer them to the oven, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Check the pancakes the same way you would a regular cake: the pancakes are ready when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Flip each pancake onto a plate, and serve.
Bake the other 2 pancakes the same way.
Photographs by Sara Remington
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Meyer Lemon Bars
When Meyer lemons hit Big Sur, they come all at once. We’ve developed marvelous ways of using them—from marmalades to salad dressings and, of course, our Meyer lemon bars. The crust on these bars is made with pine nuts and cornmeal, and the filling is much thicker than your average bar.
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INGREDIENTS
FOR THE DOUGH:
1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup pine nuts
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
FOR THE MEYER LEMON FILLING:
3 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
Grated zest of 3 Meyer lemons
1 cup Meyer lemon juice
½ cup heavy cream
8 whole eggs
5 egg yolks
FOR THE TOPPING:
Powdered sugar, for sprinkling
Makes 1 dozen bars
To make the dough, first cut the butter into cubes, spread them out on a plate, and freeze for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Scatter the pine nuts on a cookie sheet, and toast them in the oven until they’re light brown, about 7 minutes. Let them cool completely.
Pulse the flour, sugar, cornmeal, pine nuts, salt, and lemon zest in a food processor until the pine nuts have been broken into smaller pieces. Add the frozen butter cubes, and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer it to a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk the yolks and cream together in a separate bowl, and pour the mixture into the well. Knead with your hands until the ingredients are fully combined and the dough is uniform and smooth. Flatten it into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Roll the chilled dough between two pieces of parchment paper into a 15 by 17 inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. Drape the dough inside a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, working it into the corners and up the sides of the dish. Trim off the excess dough with a paring knife, and refrigerate the dish for 30 minutes.
While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Bake the crust until it’s a rich golden brown, about 20 minutes. Set it aside until completely cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF.
Make the filling: In an electric mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment, combine the sugar, flour, Meyer lemon zest and juice, heavy cream, eggs, and egg yolks on high speed until frothy,