The Best Pancakes + A Change-Up To Subscriptions
Making Things Feel Better and Plant Magic is here!
This week, a recipe from Desiree Nielsen’s newest book (Plant Magic) and a programming note change-up.
Get to it!
Hello!
Through writing books, I feel lucky to have made a lot of very talented cookbook-author friends. While so many of them have been putting out amazing work, I’m hearing the same thing from almost all of them…it’s harder than ever to sell cookbooks (no matter their popularity or platform size).
Advances are smaller for cookbooks (unless you’re a celeb or have a viral Tiktok moment), which makes hiring publicity and marketing help impossible for most. Social media doesn’t work like it used to. There are hundreds of new podcasts launched every day – making it harder to standout. And a constant stream of challenging world events and political news dominate headlines, making it harder to get space in media outlets.
It can feel incredibly defeating to spend so much time creating something that no one will see. And even more defeating that, if book sales are bad, the chances of you writing another book are slim to none.
All of this has been making me feel icky about sharing new cookbooks - and recipes from those books - behind a paywall. I thought it would be a great incentive to get more paid subscribers (it was), but it isn’t serving my fellow authors who are struggling…so it doesn’t feel good. Moving forward, they will be free. And that means I’ll be changing up other things.
**If you’re a paid subscriber (THANK YOU!), moving forward you’ll receive a bigger Freak My Week roundup every month from me - and occasional favorite recipes from my own kitchen. I hope you can understand this change. If not, email me and we can work on a pro-rated refund.
**If you’re an unpaid subscriber, moving forward, you’ll receive monthly-ish new cookbook recipes (like this one) and announcements.
If you’ve been considering a paid subscription, I would love for you to join us! Using this platform instead of doing sponsored content and ads (and just removing myself from social media platforms in general) has been incredible for my brain and creativity. Not as much for bank account…but I’m prioritizing the former.
This newsletter is where I’ll be sharing about the people, places, and things I love - and how you can support the work I do.
Alright, that’s it!
Enjoy this new recipe from Plant Magic, out this Tuesday (April 23rd)!
Love,
Jessica
Chocolate Chip Spelt Pancakes from Plant Magic by Desiree Nielsen
I was so excited for this book. Desiree’s last cookbook’s recipes got me through surgery recovery and out of a general cooking rut. Her new book, Plant Magic, is just as great (maybe even better!).
I’ve already made a handful of recipes, but these pancakes are for sure my favorite so far. They are SO GOOD.
I went with the spelt version, subbed in strawberries for the chocolate chips (because I was out of chips), and used some Miyoko’s butter to top them off…and they tasted restaurant-quality (which had everything to do with Desiree’s recipe and not me cooking them).
Not only is Desiree an amazing cook, she’s a registered dietician. In her practice, she focuses on a weight-neutral and non-diet approach to food. Just knowing her background makes cooking from her books feel more free. I know the recipes aren’t rooted in diet culture or restricted eating…her intentions for her recipes are rooted in fun, simple, and feel-good foods.
Plant Magic is out next week.
Congrats on another great one, Desiree!
Chocolate Chip Spelt Pancakes
Makes 10-12 pancakes
2¼ cups (550 mL) whole-grain spelt or whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2 mL) baking soda
½ teaspoon (2 mL) salt
1½ cups (375 mL) unsweetened oat milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
¼ cup (60 mL) melted vegan butter or avocado oil, plus more for cooking
1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
¼ cup (60 mL) mini dairy-free chocolate chips
Vegan butter, for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (100°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the oat milk, maple syrup, melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cooking in batches, pour 1⁄3 cup (75 mL) of batter into the pan and cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake and the edges look cooked, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining pancakes.
5. Serve the pancakes with maple syrup and a pat of butter. Freeze leftover pancakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until frozen. Then transfer to a resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Reheat from frozen in the toaster.
Swaps + Stuff
For a gluten-free and low-FODMAP option, swap a legume-free, starch-based gluten-free flour blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, for the spelt or whole wheat flour
Excerpted from Plant Magic by Desiree Nielsen. Copyright © 2024 Desiree Nielsen. Photography and illustrations by Gabriel Cabrera. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
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If you’re new here, some other great guests and recipes to check out from the archives…
Seared Broccoli And Capers + Old Tweets
Veggie Burgers + Applied Empathy’s Michael Ventura
Chocolate Eggplant Brownies + Small Tomatoes + Scandals
Post Instagram-ish + Crate + Barrel's Content Director, Merritt Watts
Salsa Verde + Botanica’s Emily Fiffer
And some books by me:
One Part Plant: A Guide to Eating Real One Meal At a Time
Know Your Endo: An Empowering Guide To Health + Hope With Endometriosis