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Banana and Buttermilk Pancakes

by Claire Thomson from The Five O’Clock Apron

These light fluffy pancakes are adored by children and make a perfect breakfast or after-school snack.

Introduction

Here the banana is whizzed up and mixed into the pancake batter. More like a fat pancake or – to give it its Kiwi name – a pikelet.

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Ingredients

150g spelt flour (you can use wholewheat or plain flour)
1 tbsp soft light brown sugar or honey
a pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 large extremely ripe banana, peeled
250ml buttermilk (or yoghurt thinned with milk)
1 egg
2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for cooking the pancakes

Method

In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. If using honey rather than sugar, add it in step 3 with all the other wet ingredients.

Slice the banana, put into a blender or food processor with the buttermilk and blend until completely puréed. Add the egg and butter and purée briefly on a low speed to bring everything together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until everything just comes together to make a relatively smooth batter. If it seems a bit thick, add a bit more buttermilk.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a low heat. These pancakes brown quite easily with the spelt flour and honey (if using), so don’t let the pan get too hot. You’ll need to cook them in batches.

Rub the pan with a bit of butter and dollop dessertspoon-size pancakes into the pan. Space them well apart, as they will spread a bit. Turn the heat up a little.

When bubbles start to appear in the centre of the pancakes, gently lift the edge to see how well they are coloured underneath.

If you are happy with the colour, flip them over very carefully and cook for a couple of minutes until just done. Remove the cooked pancakes to a plate while you cook more, and wipe out the pan with kitchen paper if the butter has burnt at all.

Serve the pancakes as soon as possible, keeping them warm on a covered plate in a low oven while you cook the others. Especially nice with Greek yoghurt and extra honey or maple syrup. Unused batter will keep in the fridge for a few hours.

These pancakes can be reheated in little stacks, sprinkled with sugar, in a hot oven if you have any left over – which is unlikely.

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