The alarm rang at 4:00 am, and we threw on our clothes. At the start of the yearly family vacation, there was nothing else for me or my sister to do but pile into our ’68 Country Squire station wagon; we’d breakfast about two hours along the road, stopping at Howard Johnson’s. I had the silver dollar pancakes every time. Well, that would be every time I wasn’t having the blueberry pancakes.
I want to say I’ve never met a pancake I didn’t love---but that would be a lie. When experimenting with gluten-free flour, I made the mistake of mixing the flour with starch, which produced a stiff and almost inedible pancake. But the good news is that just about any gluten-free flour makes a great pancake; sorghum, buckwheat, cornmeal, and amaranth are my favorites, with buckwheat coming in first. I’ve enjoyed experimenting, even combining flours. You’ll find that amaranth produces a delicate pancake with the consistency of a crepe; don’t try them on your first attempt as they are a bit hard to handle.
Of course, you can add fruit, such as blueberries, to the batter or even chocolate chips if you are fortunate enough to be able to eat them.
Buckwheat Pancakes
(Buckwheat is gluten-free and has no wheat, other than in its name.)
2 cups buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup Greek or other plain yogurt
1 egg
Approximately 2 and 1/4 cups almond milk (or other milk)
I want to say I’ve never met a pancake I didn’t love---but that would be a lie. When experimenting with gluten-free flour, I made the mistake of mixing the flour with starch, which produced a stiff and almost inedible pancake. But the good news is that just about any gluten-free flour makes a great pancake; sorghum, buckwheat, cornmeal, and amaranth are my favorites, with buckwheat coming in first. I’ve enjoyed experimenting, even combining flours. You’ll find that amaranth produces a delicate pancake with the consistency of a crepe; don’t try them on your first attempt as they are a bit hard to handle.
Of course, you can add fruit, such as blueberries, to the batter or even chocolate chips if you are fortunate enough to be able to eat them.
Buckwheat Pancakes
(Buckwheat is gluten-free and has no wheat, other than in its name.)
2 cups buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup Greek or other plain yogurt
1 egg
Approximately 2 and 1/4 cups almond milk (or other milk)
Whisk buckwheat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add oil, yogurt, egg, and almond milk. Whisk firmly but only for as long as needed to blend ingredients fully. More almond milk can be added to create the proper consistency for pouring from a ladle.
Cook on hot (just under 400 degrees) lightly greased griddle, turning when air bubbles show and edges look firm. Yield: 24 pancakes. Freezes well. (Wrap in paper towel and microwave on defrost for about 50 seconds, then heat for 30 seconds.)
Variations: After mixing, fold in 1 cup of blueberries, chopped pecans, or chocolate chips.
Note: For dairy-free pancakes, omit yogurt. Pancakes will not brown much without dairy, but they will taste good. Check for doneness by observing when the steam stops rising after they have been turned.
***
And while gluten-eaters are enjoying their wheat pancakes, we won’t let them know how much they’re missing.
Cook on hot (just under 400 degrees) lightly greased griddle, turning when air bubbles show and edges look firm. Yield: 24 pancakes. Freezes well. (Wrap in paper towel and microwave on defrost for about 50 seconds, then heat for 30 seconds.)
Variations: After mixing, fold in 1 cup of blueberries, chopped pecans, or chocolate chips.
Note: For dairy-free pancakes, omit yogurt. Pancakes will not brown much without dairy, but they will taste good. Check for doneness by observing when the steam stops rising after they have been turned.
***
And while gluten-eaters are enjoying their wheat pancakes, we won’t let them know how much they’re missing.
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