November 3, 2009: Apple and walnut pancakes

During the first week or so of Michael's convalescence, I went into comfort food overdrive. A stray egg in the fridge turned into pancakes for breakfast on a weekday and then when there weren't any stray eggs I realised that I could still make pancakes from the pantry, thanks to Vegan Brunch.

My first rendition was cobbled together from memories of my mum's Sunday pikelets. They were always based on self-raising flour, eggs, milk, and a little sugar. Sometimes she subbed half the white flour with wholemeal, and occasionally she added grated apple. If you've not tried grated apple before, I highly recommend it - I love the extra moisture and tangy flavour it adds. Used in tandem with the wholemeal flour you end up with a healthier tasting pancake, but not a stodgy one. Since I was in a pantry-clearing mood, I threw a handful of walnuts into the mix too.

I lacked the intuition to whip up vegan pancakes on the fly, but of course Isa had me sorted. In Vegan Brunch, she recounts her first efforts to create them at the age of 17. The accompanying recipe for 'perfect pancakes' is clearly tried and true, having been published in Vegan with a Vengeance prior to this cookbook. While I was all anxious for an egg substitute, Isa doesn't seem to replace it directly - the liquids involved are oil, water, soy milk and a smidge of maple syrup. These pancakes were flatter and less cakey than my more traditional ones, but no less delicious.

As far as toppings go, I'm always keen on fruit and sometimes a little syrup - we had both on hand. On the second occasion I scavenged what pie filling remained, remodelling it into a rather fetching cashew cream dollop and orange compote.


Apple and walnut pancakes - traditional
(inspired by my mum's Sunday pikelets)

Sift together 1/2 cup plain flour, 1/2 cup wholemeal flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Stir through a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. Add a small peeled and grated apple, and 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts. Lightly beat one egg in 1 cup of milk, then beat this liquid into the dry ingredients. Fry third-cups of the batter in a hot frypan, greased with a little butter. Only flip the pancakes once, when bubbles have risen to the batter's surface and it has started to dry out. If you want to keep a lot of pancakes warm for serving, set the oven to its lowest temperature, line a tray with baking paper, and store the fried pancakes in the oven.


Apple and walnut pancakes - vegan
(adapted from Perfect Pancakes in Vegan Brunch)

Sift together 1/2 cup plain flour, 3/4 cup wholemeal flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, a pinch of salt and a shake of ground cinnamon. Add a small peeled and grated apple, and 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts. Gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons of canola oil, 1/3 cup water, 1 cup soy milk and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Fry third-cups of the batter in a hot frypan, greased with a little vegetable oil. Only flip the pancakes once, when bubbles have risen to the batter's surface and it has started to dry out. If you want to keep a lot of pancakes warm for serving, set the oven to its lowest temperature, line a tray with baking paper, and store the fried pancakes in the oven.