Vegan Pancakes

Shrove Tuesday is fast approaching…which in the UK at least means pancakes. I love pancakes, I think most people do! But it is one of those things I don’t make that often, well until Pancake Day that is and then I usually completely overdose on these treats eating sweet and savoury versions for breakfast, lunch and dinner! This year I thought I would get in early on the pancake bandwagon and start experimenting with a few recipes where there is ‘something missing’ , starting with a vegan recipe.

I originally wanted to make a crepe style pancake as this is what I most closely associate with Pancake Day, simply topped with a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous sprinkling of sugar. It turns out, however, that removing the eggs from pancake mix can have quite dramatic effects on the end product. I found a lot of recipes on-line that added extra fat to the soy milk and flour mix with melted margarine or vegetable oil and then a bit of added sweetness with some maple syrup. So I chose one of these recipes, followed it to the letter, let the batter chill for a couple of hours before frying and then I created….well a big sticky (although still pretty tasty) mess! From regularly making pancakes in the past I have learnt that the first is often sacrificed to the pan until the temperature  is right and the amount of oil in the pan is just enough to prevent the mixture sticking. But after the fourth attempt using my maple syrup containing mix I still could not produce anything other than a big blob of rubbery dough. Whatever I did the mixture instantly stuck to the pan (I think it may have had something to do with the high sugar content of the mix?!?) and could not be shifted. So I gave up, went back to the internet and returned with an American style vegan pancake recipe which worked out pretty well, especially in comparison with my previous attempt!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain flour

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder (yes tablespoon not teaspoon)

1 cup unsweetened soy milk

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Makes approximately 10 pancakes (depending on size)

Sieve the flour into a bowl, add the sugar and baking powder and stir until well combined.

Add the milk and vegetable oil to the mixture and mix until well combined producing a smooth mixture. To achieve this you may find it easier to use a whisk to mix the ingredients together.

Place a non-stick saucepan over a medium-high heat and add a small dash of vegetable oil so that the pan is lightly greased. Allow the oil to heat up then add a ladle of the mixture to the pan (I produced pancakes that were about 10cm in diameter). After 1 to 2 minutes small air bubbles should start to appear in the mixture, at this point use a spatula to flip the pancake over. Cook for a couple of minutes on this second side. Flip back over and cook on the first side for another minute if needed until lightly golden in colour.

Continue cooking the rest of the batter in this way, if your pan is big enough it is possible to cook a couple of pancakes at the same time.

I served mine up with greek yoghurt and fresh fruit…which does undermine the vegan element of this recipe, but a drizzle of maple syrup on top would also be the perfect accompaniment.

If you make too many these pancakes can also be frozen and enjoyed at a later date.

Recipe adapted from About.com vegan pancakes