The Best Part of Waking Up
I'd say the part I love most about morning is breakfast, and not just any breakfast...one with blueberries. Today I raided the pantry and decided to make some pancakes. Blueberries are a superfood of sorts. One cup boasts a very low 85 calories, almost 4g of fiber, and lots of vitamin C. A known antioxidant, blueberries should be consumed on a regular basis to help prevent cancer and maintain a healthy weight.
The beauty in pancakes is that the items required to make them are typically items we keep on hand, and they do not require much time to prep. From start to finish, you can have breakfast on the table in about 15 minutes or less. Vegan pastries can be a bit challenging to make since the texture of most things is dependent upon moisture content, leavening, fat content, and a bunch of other things I will spare you from explaining. All we are concerned with today is how to make the perfect blueberry pancake, so let's get started.
There are a few key elements to ensure your pancakes come out perfect everytime.
1. Never overmix your batter; stir just until mixture comes together. Overmixing could cause gluten to form, creating a tough and chewy pancake instead of light and fluffy masterpiece.
2. Allow your batter to rest at least five minutes after mixing; this allows the flour to absorb the liquids, and it gives the baking powder a chance to start doing it's job of creating those lovely gas bubbles that make for the fluffiest pancakes ever.
3. Do not skimp on the fat. Full fat coconut milk is always best for yielding a tender pancake.
Okay, you ready for the best recipe EVER? Why are they the best, you ask? BECAUSE I SAID SO! Oh and because they're cholesterol free. Here we go :)
Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder (aluminum free if possible)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/4 cup warm water
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 cup full fat coconut milk (I used 60%)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, see note within directions)
Directions
Combine flour, baking powder and kosher salt in a bowl and set aside. In a mixing bowl whisk together egg replacer with warm water. Add in vanilla extract and raw sugar, then nut milks and whisk until combined (about 15 seconds). Whisk in flour mixture just until incorporated and let stand for 5 minutes; batter will be thick. Meanwhile, turn griddle on to 350° and allow it to heat. After batter has rested, fold in fresh blueberries *note(if using frozen blueberries, add berries to pancakes once you've ladeled the batter onto the griddle) and use ladel to spoon batter onto griddle and gently spread it out into a perfect circle. Allow pancakes to cook for 2-3 minutes per side, serve warm with grade b maple syrup.
