Chocolate Chip Buckwheat Pancakes

Before I begin, I want to make sure everyone knows that Sweet Potato is my soulmate. She and I have been married now for 15 years, 3 months, 3 days, and counting. That said, ever since I met Seitan at an EdTech trainers thing at the Los Angeles County Office of Education, I’ve felt like I met a culinary soulmate. Our flavor profiles and food choices are very complimentary and compatible… even when the styles are so different. So it’s with a high amount of humor that I read her post on Cornmeal Pancakes, because this weekend I was also experimenting with pancakes. Call it ironic, cosmic, kismet, or just weird vegan ju-ju, but it was definitely funny (and tasty too).

By far, one of my family’s favorite breakfast treats includes homemade pancakes. From Pumpkin Spice Pancakes to Chocolate Chip Buckwheat pancakes, we like experimenting with different flavors and have liked them all… well, okay, maybe not all of them. My wife and I have liked all of them, but I think sometimes the kids get a little taken aback at first… then they come around and develop a taste for the experiments. However, that said, these are their favorite.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ cup buckwheat flour
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rice milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
• 2 Tbs canola or safflower oil
• 3 Tbs agave nectar (maple syrup or brown rice syrup work pretty well
• too)
• oil or butter for cooking

Directions:
Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in a mixing bowl. Stir up the dry ingredients to combine them. In a 2 cup measuring cup (or other mixing bowl), combine the liquid ingredients (rice milk, oil, and agave). Be sure to mix the liquids together. The sweetener has a tendency to just sit at the bottom unless mixed in.

Bring the dry together with the liquid in one happy, harmonious pancakey batter. As always, gently mix the dry and wet ingredients together and do NOT over-mix. How will you know if you’ve over-mixed it? If the pancakes come out tough, then it’s been over-mixed. So make a mental note to mix it less next time. If you are going to add in any mix-ins… now’s the time to do it! I like to add in non-dairy chocolate chips or fresh berries. Blueberries always work well, but both Baby Corn and Dumpling like the chocolate chips, so I usually go with those.

Time to warm up the pan. You can do this step earlier, but it forces me to let the batter rest, which helps it become fluffier. Use a heavy non-stick pan. Cast iron is always good. Warm the pan up on medium heat. Make sure the pan is fully pre-heated, or the pancakes will be harder to flip. That’s the one thing that I notice with these pancakes… they tend to stick a little, so they require a little work when flipping, and a well-heated pan does wonders.

By now, the batter should be a little airy and fluffy. That’s a good thing! Fluffy batter translates to airier pancakes. As you begin to scoop and make pancakes, the fluffiness will go down a little, it’s okay. The pancakes will still taste great and be light and fluffy… maybe just not as fluffy. Lightly oil the pan and pour the batter in about ¼ to ⅓ cup batches. The goal is to make pancakes that are about 4 inches in diameter. Wait till the batter is looking a little bubbly or holey and a little dry. You can also take a peek at the cooking side. It should be a nice golden to deep brown… not black. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds till done (also golden to deep brown on that side).

Serve with non-dairy buttery spread (we like Earth Balance, and now they even have soy-free versions), maple syrup, and fresh fruit… if you really want to get fancy, then make some Cashew Cream á la Seitan (updated) from Conscious Cooking.

Variations:
Try different flours. Sometimes I’ll do a mix of whole wheat pastry flour and unbleached white whole wheat flour. Experiment with mix-ins. Just be sure not to add more than a handful to handful-and-a-half of mix-ins because the pancakes will be harder to cook, and the mix-ins may burn on the pan.

Whole Wheat Vegan Banana Bread

I want to make it very clear that I’m not the greatest baker in the world. I am more of a savory cook. Ask me for a vegan seven-course meal, and I’m there. Ask for a peach tart, and I start sweating. That said, I do enjoy making pizza dough, cookies, brownies, and quick breads. Here’s one recent one we did.

Whole Wheat Vegan Banana Bread

• ½ cup organic brown sugar
• ½ cup organic white sugar
• ½ cup Earth Balance “butter” spread (but any margarine will do)
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed (if they’re smaller bananas, use three)
• ½ cup soymilk (you can also use ricemilk or almondmilk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• Egg Replacer that is equivalent to 3 eggs (I use Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, but Ener-G works well too. One trick I learned from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s The Joy of Vegan Baking is to use a blender to whip up the egg replacer and water so that it’s frothy)
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (you can also substitute 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour for a lighter bread, but I like the grainy taste)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan or 9×9 square pan with some Earth Balance or oil.

In a large bowl cream together the two types of sugar and Earth Balance. If you have a stand mixer, go ahead and use it. A hand mixer works well too. If you want a LOT of exercise, you can use a wire whip or fork and a LOT of elbow grease (make sure it’s vegan). Add bananas and mix again. Don’t go crazy. Mix it just enough to so that it’s evenly blended. Add soymilk, vanilla extract and egg replacer mixture and blend together.

In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add dry ingredients to wet (gradually!) and continue to mix together. Every now and then,  scrape down the sides to incorporate all the yummy bits. When the ingredients are all mixed together fill the greased pan and place on the middle rack of the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes. It depends on whether you use a loaf pan or 9×9 square pan. The loaf will take a little longer. However, as with most baked goods, this varies according to the oven, the time of day, the humidity, the air pressure, the cycle of the moon, and who knows what else. Just be sure to check the bread every few minutes after 40 minutes have passed so that you can make sure it’s done (the clean toothpick in the center is always a good measure).

Remove the bread and let it cool for 30 minutes. Cut, garnish with your favorite berries or non-dairy whipped topic (or eat plain), serve, and dig in!