ELEMENTS:
Two cups SOYMILK or RICEMILK
One-fourth cup WHITE or APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Two large EGGS
One-fourth cup OLIVE OIL
One tablespoon PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
One and one-fourths cup WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
One cup unbleached ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
One-fourth cup GROUND FLAX SEED
Two tablespoons WHITE SUGAR (I often omit this altogether, depending on my mood.)
Half teaspoon GROUND CINNAMON
Two and a half teaspoon BAKING POWDER
One heaping teaspoon BAKING SODA
One teaspoon SALT
APPLICATION:
First combine the soymilk with vinegar in a large glass mixing bowl. Set this aside while you combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Back to your first bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla into the milk/vinegar mixture. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk the batter until smooth.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Use cooking oil or spray if needed. Once the skillet is hot, pour batter on–any size you want! When the edges of the pancakes appear matte and bubbles form over the top, flip the pancake over. Cook until golden.
TIPS:
I often freehand fun, festive shapes on the skillet (animals, shapes, holiday symbols, etc.) that either stand alone or that can be pieced/stacked together (like a train with caboose or snowman.)
To make defined “outlines” or “drawings” on your pancakes, put some of the batter into as squeeze bottle with a thin nozzle. Use this squeeze bottle to draw a picture on your skillet. (As this is July, I’m thinking stars or an American flag, etc.) Once your drawing is complete, fill in the gaps with more batter. The drawing you made first will have been cooking longer and will therefore be darker than the rest of the pancake!
I personally always use a large non-stick griddle with no extra oil/spray for cooking. Sure, extra oil adds extra flavor and a little extra crisp- but the extra fat isn’t necessary and my family enjoys it all the same.
Make sure you preheat the skillet before pouring batter on. You can do the water test by flicking water from your fingers onto the skillet. If the water droplets sizzle and dance then you know the heat is ready for you.
Flipping pancakes over and over again can make for a dry and stiff meal. The goal is to get used to flipping only once during the cooking process. If you’re unsure whether or not it’s ready to flip, just use your spatula to gently lift the edge and check the underside color. Along with seeing bubbles and matte edges on top, the bottom should be nicely golden.
Other variations to try:
-Try adding pureed beets to your batter! Not only does it add health benefits, but it will make them pink! (Think Valentine’s Day.) Reduce soymilk to 1.5 cups and put it in a blender, along with two peeled/cooked beets. Puree and then continue with the recipe.
-Add a cup of fresh blueberries, diced strawberries, or raspberries (rinsed and patted dry) to the batter last. Gently fold it in.
-For a special indulgent treat, mix in a cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter. (I use the ENJOY LIFE brand since it’s dairy free and nut free.)
