American style healthy pancakes

I have a new cookbook crush: Super Natural Every Day is the new release in the UK by Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks fame. For those who don’t know, Heidi is an American food writer who uses often unusual, natural, wholefood ingredients to create rustic, exciting and healthy vegetarian food. The book is styled beautifully; it’s a genuine pleasure to flick through. And it has even inspired a visit to my fabulous local vegan co-op, The Unicorn, where I frittered my partner’s hard earned pounds on bags of previously unheard of grains and flours so I can work my way through her intriguing recipes.

I’ve owned the book a few days now and already I’ve cooked two of her recipes, with more planned as soon as I get time. I normally only print my own recipes here, but when a recipe I try out is really good, and I feel I have adapted it sufficiently, I will include it here for your enjoyment. Her original recipe calls for buttermilk and also oat flour, which I couldn’t get, so I have substituted these: a mixture of half natural or Greek yoghurt / half milk for the buttermilk, and white flour instead of oat flour. I managed to get hold of rye flour, but if you can’t then simply increase your amount of wholemeal flour to 185 g. The recipe produces the most amazing, fluffy, delicious pancakes – and it only took about ten minutes to make them this morning, even in my very pregnant, delirious and bedraggled state. I still have half left over which I intend to pop in the toaster tomorrow morning to warm up and enjoy.

1. Melt your butter first so it has time to cool a little and set aside. 
2. Measure out and mix your flours, salt, sugar and baking powder. 
3. Whisk up your yoghurt and milk to combine (or not if you have managed to source some buttermilk), then add beaten eggs and cooled melted butter to the yoghurt and milk / buttermilk mixture. 
4. Combine your wet and dry ingredients and whisk it all up till smooth. It makes a pleasantly thick batter. 
5. Melt some butter over a medium-high heat on the hob and wait till it gets nice and hot. I used a ladle’s worth per pancake and this made medium sized ones, but you could do smaller or bigger ones instead. 
6. Wait till the bubbles are showing on the uncooked side before flipping with a fish slice (they’re not tossers like the English ones!). I find, once you’ve made the first batch and the pan is sufficiently hot, they take about 4 minutes each side. I do them in batches and keep warm in the oven then serve together. 
7. Top warm pancakes with butter, then maple syrup, and finally a dusting of icing sugar.