My older daughter made this pancake yesterday and….savoured every last bite.
Why the ‘crazy pancake’ (as she called it)? I’ve been experimenting with new recipes over the past few weeks, combining some French and American favourites, with a healthy twist. These will be published in the new cookbook I’m working on, which will be published next year (so exciting!! Yay!!).
These buckwheat pancakes are one of my kitchen experiments. Buckwheat flour is traditionally used to make dinner (not dessert) pancakes in Brittany, where my husband is from. Stuffed with savoury fillings (ham, egg, and tomato is the traditional ‘complete’ crepe), these ‘galettes‘ make a delicious meal. Followed, of course, by wonderfully sweet, light crepes!
Galettes are traditionally much thinner and crispier than American pancakes, and the batter is much more liquid. Buckwheat is gluten-free, and so this recipe (which has some whole wheat flour) has a lower gluten content: you can see from all the holes in the pancake above that it cooks differently.
My kids like both styles, and I’ve been experimenting with various combinations of buckwheat, whole wheat, and white flour. We’ve found out that there is an ideal ratio for making fun pancake shapes — the batter is not as liquid as in France (where it runs all over the pan, making a huge, very thin layer), but not as thick as in the US (so you can pour it and shape it). So you can make fun shapes!
Anyway, stay tuned, because once I have the ‘perfect’ recipe I’m going to post it online; and I’d love your feedback!
In the meantime, I’d love to know: do you think your kids would eat a pancake that looked like this?
If it included maple syrup, they would surely eat it 🙂
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I’m not sure if my kids would know what to do with that. They might think it is a toy.
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Of course! Pancakes are a big treat, whatever their shape. True buckwheat flour would be tasty, I’m sure. I’ve never tried it, I don’t think.
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Pure buckwheat flour is not just lower in gluten, but is actually gluten-free (although, your batter recipe for the galettes may contain gluten-bearing flour as well).
I don’t have kids, so I can’t comment on whether they’d eat these, or not, but I’d sure make them try it, if I did. 🙂
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Mine would, especially if I involved them in the cooking! - Now they are grown (25 y.o. twins), and healthy foodies & both are great cooks!
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My kids would, and I can’t wait to make your recipe. My father is a vegetarian, and when I was a child, he made buckwheat and blueberry pancakes for my school snack. He called them “pocket pancakes” because they were so stiff, they would sit upright in my pocket without any wrapping. At snack time, kids would pull out twinkies and cupcakes, and I pulled out my pocket pancake and carrot sticks. I am so grateful for my good health in my 40’s because of the food he gave me at 5! Cook on Karen!!! I would love to see an improvement on this idea, because Dad’s needed some help!
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