Buckwheat pancakes for 1

I spent most of my life not really understanding pancakes. Who would choose flat blobs of dough over french toast or waffles? I also grew up on decidedly unamerican, paper thin crepes, dressed with syrups my mom would make from orange juice or jams (more on that later). It wasn't until very recently, that I discovered what pancakes really meant: fluffy, warm vehicles for fat and sugar, a carb-lover's dream. They are pan-fried cakes afterall, and that doesn't sound too shabby.

While my partner does love pancakes, he often has more discipline than me and my cravings for breakfast at any hour of the day, and so I put together this recipe which cooks up 6 delicious mini-cakes for one. It's easy to remember and a few of the ingredients are ok to eyeball, which means it come together really quickly. I like minis because, well, mini things are always cuter, and they cook much faster, too.



Buckwheat pancakes (6 - 3" pancakes)
1/4 c. buckwheat flour
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
~ 1 tsp. sugar
pinch of salt
fresh grated nutmeg (one or two passes on the microplane)
1/2 c. dairy-free milk
~ 1 tsp. oil or melted margarine
splash of vanilla extract (or use vanilla milk above)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients to distribute everything evenly. In a measuring cup, measure out your milk first, then splash in the oil and vanilla and whisk together in the cup to combine.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk slowly, just until everything is moistened.

Now, an important step, not to be skipped: set the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to rest.

When you batter is almost done resting, lightly oil and heat up your favorite pancake skillet (I like cast iron). For perfectly portioned pancakes (and cookies and cupcakes...) I highly recommend investing in a disher or several of various sizes. I use a size 30 (1 1/4 oz.) for this recipe for 6 pancakes, which is also about 2 heaping tablespoons. The batter will be fairly thick, so the disher makes for easy scooping, but you can just use a large spoon.

Cook your pancakes over medium to medium-high heat for a couple minutes each side, until golden.

In addition to growing up in a pancake-free home, we also rarely had maple syrup. Not always wanting my breakfast goods to taste like the fruit choice of the day, I got in the habit of just sprinkling sugar over my buttered crepes or french toast. I think this application is ideal for these little pancakes, as it allows the nutty flavor of the buckwheat to stand on its own (with a little help from the warm nutmeg). The crunchy crystals are also a nice contrast to the soft, fluffy cakes.