Mascarpone hotcakes with date syrup and pine nut cream

Makes 12 Desserts and puddings

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Method

For the topping, put the mascarpone, half the dates, the ground pine nuts, date syrup and Marsala in a mini processor and blitz to a purée.

For the hotcakes, put the mascarpone in a bowl and whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Sift in the flour and baking powder, a little at a time, and fold gently – don’t worry if there are a few lumps. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then mix in the melted butter.

In a bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form, then add the date syrup, a spoonful at a time, and whisk until firm peaks form. Gently fold into the flour mixture, a third at a time.

Preheat the oven to a low setting for keeping the cooked hotcakes warm.

Heat a heavy, preferably non-stick, frying pan and smear with sunflower oil using kitchen paper. When hot, turn the heat to low and add a small ladle of batter. Cook for 2 minutes until the top begins to bubble a little, then carefully turn over and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

Repeat until all the batter is used up, keeping the cooked hotcakes warm by wrapping in foil in the oven.

Serve the hotcakes topped with the date and pine nut cream and the remaining chopped dates.