Buckwheat Shortstack

‘Pancakes served American-style. Known as shortstacks, they are quite a bit thicker than the crêpes you find in Europe and nicely soak up the syrup and juice from the berries. If you prefer the thinner variety, just add a bit more milk to your batter.’

Serves 2–3 (makes about 6 large pancakes)

For the batter:

● 150g buckwheat flour or 150g plain wholemeal flour

● 2 tsp golden caster sugar or white caster sugar

● 1 tsp baking powder

● 1 small pear or apple, cored and grated (optional)

● 250ml milk (dairy or plant-based), at room temperature

● 2 eggs, separated

● About 1 tbsp butter, for frying

To serve:

● 1 tbsp date syrup, honey, maple syrup or sweetener of your choice

● 2–3 tbsp Greek-style yoghurt (dairy or plant-based)

● 1 x 150g punnet of berries, such as blueberries or raspberries

1 For the batter, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, grated pear or apple (if using), milk and egg yolks in a mixing bowl with a whisk until smooth.

2 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold into the flour mix. Cover and rest for at least 10 minutes.

3 Heat your large, non-stick frying pan over a mediumhigh heat and grease generously with some of the butter. Ladle some batter into the centre of the pan and leave to cook, then flip when the batter begins to bubble in the middle, about 2 minutes. Cook on the second side for 1–2 minutes, until the pancake is light brown on both sides and a little crispy on the edges. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

4 Repeat the process, re-greasing the pan with butter as needed and cooking one pancake at a time, keeping the cooked pancakes covered with a clean tea towel until all the pancakes are cooked. Divide them up between your plates, drizzling your sweetener over the top. Serve each portion with a dollop of yoghurt and a scattering of berries on top.