Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Maple Apple Pecan Topping:
- 3 medium eating apples, peeled, cored, and diced (Golden Delicious or Pink Lady work well)
- 25g butter (about 2 tablespoons)
- 85g pecan halves, roughly chopped
- 175ml maple syrup (about ¾ cup)
For the Buttermilk Pancakes:
- 100g plain flour (about ¾ cup)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 284ml buttermilk (about 1 ¼ cup)
- 25g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
Instructions
1. Make the Maple Apple Pecan Topping:
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the diced apples and cook until softened and slightly golden, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped pecans and maple syrup. Heat gently for 2-3 minutes until everything is warmed through.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Prepare the Pancake Batter:
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, and melted butter.
- In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Gently fold until just combined (some small lumps are OK).
- Carefully fold in the whipped egg whites until everything is evenly incorporated.
3. Cook the Pancakes:
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Lightly grease with butter.
- Drop 2-3 large spoonfuls of batter into the pan for each pancake, keeping them about 10cm (4 inches) in diameter.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until the edges look set and bubbles appear on the surface. Carefully flip and cook the other side until golden brown.
- Repeat with the remaining batter. Keep the cooked pancakes warm in a low oven if making a large batch.
4. Assemble and Serve:
- Stack two or three pancakes on each plate.
- Top generously with the warm maple apple pecan mixture.
- Drizzle with extra maple syrup, if desired, and serve immediately.
Tips:
- Don’t overmix the batter: Overmixing will make tough pancakes. Just fold until the ingredients are combined.
- Temperature matters: Cook the pancakes on medium-low heat so they cook through without burning.
- Fresh is best: Use real maple syrup for the best flavor.
- Customize it: Add spices like cinnamon or nutmeg to the pancake batter, or substitute some of the pecans with walnuts.
Enjoy your fluffy, delicious buttermilk pancakes!
