Chocolate pancakes with caramel-strawberry sauce

Ingredients:

Caramel-strawberry sauce

• 1 package (280 g) frozen strawberries (about 2 cups), thawed
• 0.5 cups of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Pancakes

• 1 and 1/3 cups premium flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 6 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 and 1/4 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 cups finely chopped white chocolate (about 200 g)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 95°C. Line a baking sheet with two stacked kitchen towels and place in the oven to stack the finished pancakes.
2. Caramel-strawberry sauce:
   
   Combine the strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt in a bowl and stir to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes, stir again, and mash half the berries with a potato masher or fork; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue cooking and stirring until the syrup turns amber, about 2 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the strawberry mixture (it will bubble). Once the bubbling subsides, return the pan to medium heat and continue cooking the sauce, stirring frequently, until it thickens slightly and the caramel is completely melted, 2 to 2.5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and pour the sauce into a serving bowl; keep warm.
4. Pancakes:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, combine the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and knead into a dough (it's okay if some lumps remain). Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the skillet, spreading it into a 5-inch circle; add the second pancake in the same manner. Cook until the pancakes are golden brown on the bottom and bubbly on top, about 45 seconds. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 30 seconds more. Transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet in the oven, lined with warm kitchen towels. Cook all the pancakes in the same manner.
6. When ready to serve, arrange 3 pancakes on each plate, sprinkling each with 1.5 tablespoons of white chocolate (you should have 4 stacks). Serve with warm caramel-strawberry sauce.