This recipe is a double whammy... first off a little bit of Valentines love with the chocolate and strawberry thing going down, and then secondly, well it is pancakes so perfect for Shrove Tuesday which is now not so far away either!

Pancakes are perfect for sharing... make a big batch then assemble and drizzle all your toppings on!  I most adore mini blini style pancakes on skewers... just so much more fun and in my opinion easier to cook (I get in a mess trying to flip them neatly otherwise!)  Top tip... use a melon baller to spoon small dollops of batter into the pan!

Layer them up on skewers with fresh fruit and a drizzle of dark chocolate or syrup. I used wholemeal spelt flour in these as that's what I had to hand, but I have previously used buckwheat and oat flour and they would equally well.  The other great thing about these mini pancakes is that they freeze beautifully. So you could make a big batch ahead of time and then for a super simple weekend brunch take some out of the fridge or freezer and warm them through in the oven for 5 minutes whilst you prepare the fruit!

Yay for pancakes!   

If you are not a big fan of the chocolate version check out my other pancake creations here!

Ooooh and these breakfast blinis (pictured below) are not to be missed either!

Recipe: Chocolate pancake skewers

serves 2 (approx 4 skewers)

Ingredients:

• 50g wholemeal spelt flour (or buckwheat or fine oatmeal)

• 15g cocoa powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1 heaped tsp flax

• 2 tbs syrup of choice (I used Choc Shot)

• 80ml non dairy milk

• extra syrup as desired to serve

Method:

Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the wet. Mix well to form a thick mix that will not spread when spooned into the pan.

Melt a little coconut oil into a large frying pan and once hot drop dollops of mixture - approx 2 tsp (I use a melon baller) into the pan. Fry for approx one minute and flip for another 30 seconds until cooked through. 

Set aside as you cook the whole batch of mix. Meanwhile, chop up the fruit of choice to thread onto your skewers. Serve immediately with a syrup drizzle or prepare the mini pancakes in advance and keep in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze- making sure they are separated so they don't stick together- if making a bigger batch.