Fluffy Pancakes (Lowfat, Whole Grain, Gluten-Free THM E)

This recipe has revolutionized my life! I am a huge lover of pancakes, and am delighted to have created a delicious recipe that meets my many standards. This is actually Version 2.6; I've enjoyed developing it for weeks but didn't feel it was ready for the blog until today.

It's amazing to me (still!) that this is just one serving. It makes three humungous or nine small pancakes, enough for a nice tall stack. They would be good with berry pudding on them. However, my favorite way to eat them is straight out of the pan, plain, piping hot. 

Fluffy Pancakes (THM E)

1/4c sprouted buckwheat flour* 

1/4c sprouted millet flour*

1T protein powder (I use Brazil.nut protein powder, available from rawpower.com)

1/2t baking powder

1/4t baking soda

1/4t salt

1/2c warm water

1/2t coconut oil

1/2t vanilla

4 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks if desired

*see posts from earlier this week on making your own sprouted grain flour inexpensively, or order from organicsproutedflour.net

Preheat a cast iron skillet (if you do not have cast iron, do not preheat!). 

Combine dry ingredients. 

Stir well.

Beat egg whites, if you grew up doing such a thing. It was usually considered too much trouble in my family, but I married into it, and must admit the outcome is fluffier and tastier!

Add water and vanilla to dry ingredients, lightly mix. Stop before all the flour is incorporated to prevent toughness.

Add the optionally beaten egg whites. Lightly mix until completely combined, yet still airy. 

Make sure a drop of water sizzles when placed in the pan; if not, turn up the heat. Add a tiny bit of coconut oil (repeat this step before each pancake), spread it around, and pour in 1/3c batter per pancake. Treat as any other pancake you've made; turn when the bubbles pop throughout and cook a few minutes on the other side.

Bon appetit!

Make-ahead tip: when mixing the dry ingredients, make several batches worth, each in its own jar! This is what I do, and then it's easier to whip up next time, and fun to give a new-to-THM friend. 

P.s. Wondering what to do with four egg yolks? This is what I'm making with them: http://barcodefree.blogspot.com/2014/06/chocolate-or-carob-chia-seed-cream-pie.html?m=1

Nutritional information: Protein 21.2g, Fat 5g (includes cooking oil), Usable Carbohydrate 43g

Notes on 10/11/14: After a couple more weeks of making this recipe at home, I increased the amount of water from 1/3c to 1/2c. I am very satisfied with the result and so I changed this in the recipe. Also, after weeks of struggling with pancakes that stuck to the pan no matter what, today I cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the size of my skillet and cooked the last few pancakes of the day on that. It worked famously! After flipping, they don't stick, so I only use the parchment paper for the first side. Pancakes cooked this way brown in a fun tie-dyed pattern and stay MUCH moister than pancakes that have gotten stuck to the pan. I highly recommend you try this variation at home, folks! Instead of putting the 1/2t coconut oil in the pan, in this case, mix it with the warm water. After I experiment with this technique a couple more weeks, I may post a whole new version of the recipe-- but I didn't want to leavile you hanging with sticky pancakes even one day. ;)