Eggless Pancakes

Have you ever had a chance to watch Alton Brown's "Good Eats" on food network?! I am a great of his shows and love him not only for his quirkiness & sense of humor, but also for his ability to teach & inspire. "Good Eats" is not the usual "look-into-the-camera-talk-and-cook" stereotyped shows. It takes you on an amusing, witty & entertaining journey of history, culture, and science associated with the ingredients, latest cooking gadgets & equipments, do's & dont's and a lot of other great insights about the food in a very easy, interesting & understandable manner.

Couple of days ago, I watched his episode on how to make the "most softest, fluffiest, yummiest pancakes". Topped with some fruits & nuts, it is definitely THE best way to start your day! This particular episode had the potential to drive anybody, almost instantly, into the kitchen to make some pancakes. Oh btw, ignore me! it took a couple of days for this-lazy-bum to actually try this amazing recipe! 

So.... what are you waiting for?!!!!

Note:

For those who do not mind eggs, add 1 egg in place of a tbsp of flaxseed powder. Although Mr. Brown clearly hates replacements, flaxseed powder is my take on eggless version. Nevertheless, it tasted soooo goody good!!!!

Basic Info
Complexity - Easy
Prep time - 15 - 20 mins
Cook time - 20 - 30 mins
Serves - 6-8 pancakes

Ingredients
Dry
All purpose flour - 1 cup

Baking soda - 1/4 tsp

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Wet

Melted butter - 2 tbsp

Buttermilk - 1 cup (+ 2 tbsp, only if required)
Ground flaxseed powder - 1 tbsp

Toppings
Ripe Banana - 1 no (thinly sliced)
Almonds & Walnuts - about 2-3 tbsp (finely chopped)
Pure Maple syrup - as needed

Method
Add 3 tbsp of water to 1 tbsp of flaxseed powder. Mix well and set aside for 10 mins.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Take a flat wide bottomed pan and heat it upto 350 deg F. To check if the pan is hot enough, just sprinkle few drops of water and you should see the water droplets skitter, move and bunch up into small ball upon contact with the pan. This is the right time to start making your pancake mix.

First, mix all the wet ingredients together. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour over the wet ingredients. Using a whisk, mix the dry & wet ingredients together. Do not overmix. To be really precise, use the whisk to gently fold in the mixture for just 10 times (Yeah, keep a count). It is perfectly fine if the mixture is of thicker consistency and has lumps here and there.

Take a ladleful (about 1/4 cup) of the pancake mixture and pour it gently over the hot pan. Do not attempt to spread the mixture with your ladle. Just leave the batter alone and see how beautifully the pancake rises. 

When it starts to bubble up, flip it to the other side. Once both the sides are browned, remove from heat.

Serve it hot with your favorite fruits, nuts & maple syrup.