World's Best Pancakes

Total Time:  30 minutes       On Your Feet: 20 minutes      Yields: 8-12 pancakes

Why World's Best?

If you're like me, you want something light, fluffy and nutritious in the morning.  You don't want anything that takes longer than twenty minutes on your feet to make.  You want to be able to make something more than just a bowl of cereal for your family.  This vegan pancake fulfilled all of those things for me.  With less than 120 calories per flapjack, they also include 8% of your daily amount of iron, 3 grams of protein and have minute amounts of sodium and fat.  I've tried recipes for vegan pancakes from nearly every available source.  Yet even my mum's renowned recipe could not compare to this fluffy delight.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tsp    baking powder

1 tsp          salt

2 Tbsp       granulated sugar

1 cup         coconut milk (or other non-dairy)

2 tsp          apple cider vinegar*

1/2 cup      water

3 Tbsp       canola oil

1/2 tsp       pure vanilla extract

-Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together into a medium mixing bowl.  Make a well in the centre.**

-Measure milk, vinegar and water into a small bowl or cup.  Stir vigorously until the mixture is foamy.  Add to dry ingredients.

-Add the oil and vanilla and use a fork to mix the batter until it comes to the desired consistency.

-Preheat a frying pan to ensure an even  griddle temperature.

-Let the batter rest for ten minutes.  To get the "egg effect" we rely on the vinegar reacting with the baking powder.  This rest time will ensure a proper reaction.

-After the break, lightly coat the griddle with oil.  You don't need much, especially if you use a non-stick pan.

-Scoop about 1/3 cup of batter at a time onto the pan. Cook for approximately 3 minutes on low heat.***  To be sure when to flip, watch for little bubbles forming on the batter side of the pancake.  This is an indicator that the underside is becoming crisp and the middle is being cooked.

-Let cool for about 3 minutes.

*Tips and Tricks*

*If you're unfamiliar with apple cider vinegar, I recommend you get some.  I use Bragg's Aminos brand.  This type of vinegar is a lot healthier than regular vinegar and adds its own twist.  Don't worry if it smells rancid, that's how it's supposed to smell.

**Making a well simply means to dig out the dry ingredients from the centre of the bowl so that there is a little empty "pool" with flour walls.  By pouring the wet ingredients in the well, you create a specific consistency in the mixture.

***On my stove there are ten heat settings and the sweet-spot for these pancakes is between 3 and 4.  It just takes some little adjustments to find your stove's sweet-spot.