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Parsnip-Pear Pancake Sandwiches

Name: Parsnip-Pear Pancake Sandwiches
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 12 small sandwiches, made from 24 pancakes and chive cream
Ingredients: 120 g/4¼ oz peeled parsnip, finely grated; 20 ml water (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon), for parsnip; 15 ml neutral oil (1 tablespoon), divided 5 ml for parsnip and 10 ml across 4 pancake batches; About 100 g prepared pear, grated and squeezed to give 80 g/3 oz; 100 g all-purpose flour (about ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon); 4 g baking powder (1 teaspoon); 1 g fine salt (about ⅙ teaspoon); 1 large egg, 50 g without shell; 100 ml milk (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon); 120 g/4¼ oz plain cream cheese; 30 g plain pasteurized yogurt (2 tablespoons); 10 ml lemon juice (2 teaspoons); 6 g washed fresh chives, finely snipped

12 small sandwiches, made from 24 pancakes and chive cream · Active 45 min · Cook 35 min · Total 2 hr 15 min

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Fine parsnip strands and squeezed pear make soft savory pancakes. Pairing two small rounds around chive cream gives guests a tidy cold bite with a little more character than a plain blini.

Jump to ingredients

Parsnip and pear pancake sandwiches with chive cream.

Cook the root and squeeze the fruit

Parsnip is softened first so the short pancake stage does not depend on raw root cooking through a thick batter. Squeezing the grated pear controls its juice; weigh the 80 g finished pear rather than guessing from one whole fruit.

Cool before sandwiching

The cream filling belongs between cool pancakes. A warm stack would melt it and trap steam. A rack keeps the undersides from becoming damp while the next batch cooks.

Ingredients

120 g/4¼ oz peeled parsnip, finely grated
20 ml water (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon), for parsnip
15 ml neutral oil (1 tablespoon), divided 5 ml for parsnip and 10 ml across 4 pancake batches
About 100 g prepared pear, grated and squeezed to give 80 g/3 oz
100 g all-purpose flour (about ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon)
4 g baking powder (1 teaspoon)
1 g fine salt (about ⅙ teaspoon)
1 large egg, 50 g without shell
100 ml milk (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
120 g/4¼ oz plain cream cheese
30 g plain pasteurized yogurt (2 tablespoons)
10 ml lemon juice (2 teaspoons)
6 g washed fresh chives, finely snipped

Set out

Stovetop, Nonstick skillet with usable flat base at least 26 cm/10 in, Grater, Knife and board, Clean cloth or sieve for pear, Two bowls and whisk, Scale, Spatula, Cooling rack, Small spoon, Food thermometer, Refrigerator and rigid shallow box

Allergens

Wheat, Milk, Egg. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

Heat 5 ml oil in the skillet, add parsnip and 20 ml water, and cook 5–7 minutes over medium heat, stirring, until tender and dry. Spread in a bowl and cool 10 minutes. Weigh 80 g squeezed pear.
Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Beat egg and milk separately, then stir into the dry mixture. Fold in the cooled parsnip and all the pear. The complete batter makes 24 small pancakes, about 18–19 g batter each.
Heat the skillet over medium heat. Use 2.5 ml oil for each of 4 batches. For each batch, spoon 6 equal portions and spread to about 5 cm/2 in wide, leaving gaps. Cook about 3 minutes per side until set and golden, with no wet floury center and at least 160°F/71°C internally. Extend cooking if needed; do not taste partly cooked batter.
Cool all 24 pancakes on the rack about 15 minutes, then refrigerate in a shallow single layer for at least 30 minutes and until cold at 40°F/4°C or below. Mix cream cheese, yogurt, lemon juice and all the chives. Divide the complete filling among 12 pancakes, about 14 g each, and top with the other 12.
Pack in one layer and keep at 40°F/4°C or below until serving. There is no extra cheese dollop or garnish beyond the measured filling.

Bring it

Carry cold in a single layer in an iced cooler at 40°F/4°C or below. Do not stack heavy sandwiches on soft filling. Unprotected assembly, travel and display share 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C.

Finish at the gathering

These are fully ready cold bites: only a chilled plate and small serving tongs are needed. Put out 6 at a time while the rest remain refrigerated; no host stove or last-minute pancake cooking is required.

Make it yours

Set the 12 sandwiches in a simple ring for a winter lunch, or pack in rows for an office table. The pear is grated into the batter rather than added as a decorative fruit slice.

Ingredient labels

Flour, egg, milk, cream cheese and yogurt are included. Check dairy and baking-powder labels for additional ingredients.

A useful detail

The 135-minute cold-service estimate includes parsnip cooking and cooling, about 28 minutes for 4 pancake batches, 15 minutes rack cooling, at least 30 minutes refrigeration and assembly. Chill longer if needed to reach 40°F/4°C; a smaller skillet also needs more batches and a longer total.

Another way

Replace parsnip with 120 g finely grated carrot, using the same softening stage.
Use 6 g washed fresh dill instead of chives for the filling.

Keep it well

Keep assembled sandwiches refrigerated at 40°F/4°C or below and use within 2 days or an earlier dairy deadline. The Bring it limit includes unchilled assembly. Freeze promptly chilled unfilled pancakes for up to 1 month for quality; thaw in the refrigerator, then fill. Do not freeze the cream-filled sandwiches.