simple vegan pancakes with homemade syrup.

I like to pride myself on being a good pancake maker. After making them quite frequently for my three-year old for the past couple of years, I know just what a good batter should look like, how hot the griddle should be, and just when to flip them to make them look perfect. It wasn't always this way though. When I first started making my own pancakes, I was vegan and had no idea how to spot a good dairy/egg-free recipe. My batter was usually quite thick and my pancakes were squished down to nothing and either way too light-colored or black and burned (usually the latter). It took a lot of practice with many different recipes to get to where I could finally make a good pancake.

These days I still prefer making vegan pancakes, mainly because they use less ingredients and because I have never liked the taste of eggs (somehow I can always taste them in regular pancakes). My two staple recipes are the one I am sharing today, which comes from The PPK and one that comes from the beautiful Candle Cafe Cookbook. The secret to making these ones nice and fluffy is the use of carbonated water, something I had previously never used in baking.

Also, even though I usually use real maple syrup, every once in awhile I will make a batch of pancake syrup from scratch. It comes in handy when I am out of the "good stuff", but still want some pancakes. I cannot remember where the recipe comes from- it sure makes a good-tasting pancake topping though.



Vegan Pancakes: from The Post Punk Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy or rice milk
1/3 cup carbonated water (I use Pellegrino or club soda)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

Directions:

Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the soy milk, carbonated water, sugar, and oil. Combine the two and mix until combined.
Grease your griddle or pan with margarine or a little oil. Pour some batter on and flip when it is bubbling.
Serve pancakes with syrup and fresh berries.
*Note: if you want thicker pancakes, use less liquid; thinner, use more.

Pancake Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, and pour into a bottle. Store in the refrigerator.