Pear and Ginger Pancakes

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On Sundays in my small household, we have pancakes. Usually eaten in bed, en famille, with a large ginger cat poking his nose in, and every Sunday they are different to the last. These came about from pondering whether pear sauce would work in the same way as applesauce as an egg replacement, and set about making some from a tin of pears. Behold, it worked, and these beautiful, and very simple, pancakes were born. For the milk in this recipe, I used cashew, as it’s what I had at the time, but any vegan ‘milk’ (or indeed non-vegan, if that’s your jam) will suffice. A handful of mixed peel, if you have it, makes this extra special.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 x 400g tin of pears, approx
  • 225g gluten free self-raising flour
  • 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil, plus extra for frying
  • 120ml your favorite dairy-free ‘milk’

To serve (optional)

  • Lemon juice
  • Maple syrup

METHOD

  1. First, blend your tinned pears to make a smooth sauce. Empty the entire tin, including the juice, into a small bullet blender and pulse until smooth. Pour this into a small saucepan and simmer for around 15 minutes, until the contents have reduced by a third and are thick and smell delicious. Stir it every now and then to stop it catching at the bottom of the pan and burning.
  2. Turn your oven on to 120°C (fan 100°C/250°F/gas 1/2) and pop a baking tray on the center shelf. Measure the flour, bicarb, sugar, ginger, and cinnamon into a mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Make a well – a small hole – in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the pear sauce, oil and ‘milk’ and beat thoroughly to form a smooth batter.
  3. Heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan. When the oil is sizzling, dollop a dessertspoon of the mixture into it, and another one, and another one leaving space for them to expand. Cook for
  4. minutes on one side and then carefully, but quickly, turn over with a spatula. Don’t worry if they scrumple up a little, mine frequently do; they taste all the same to me! Cook for 2 minutes on that side and then transfer carefully to the oven to keep warm and continue to gently cook.
  5. Repeat until all the pancake batter is used up. Serve with lemon and sugar – immediately!

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