Fluffy and Light Banana Buckwheat Pancakes

Of all the tastes in the world, earthy flavors are some of my favorites.  Buckwheat, one of my favorite types of flours in my house, has a really earthy, nutty, deep, brown type of flavor that works really really well in things like dark breads, noodles such as soba and my favorite use - pancakes!!

Unfortunately, most of the recipes for buckwheat pancakes end up with heavy, greasy, thick flapjack-type pancakes that sit in your belly like a lead weight.

I have in the past made regular flour pancakes using large amounts of highly whipped egg whites folded into the batter in an attempt to lighten it.  The recipe below uses the same technique, just a lot more egg whites.  Basically, it uses the technique of souffle making (i.e. mixing part of the egg whites in to lighten, then folding in the rest) to create the same type of rise.

What you get for a final result is a souffle-like light pancake with all of the great earthy flavors of the buckwheat, the subtle sweetness of the banana and the slight taste of the spices.  All you need now is some real B grade maple syrup, a big cup of coffee (I like Barefoot or Ritual) from a french press and a fork.

Recipe: Banana Buckwheat Pancakes

1 cup of whole grain buckwheat flour
1 1/4 cup of milk
1 ripe banana
4 egg whites whipped to hard peak stage (using a small pinch of cream of tartar power helps)
4 egg yolks
pinch of cardamom, nutmeg, cinnimon, and allspice
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 Tbs of melted butter

Mix dry ingredients.  Mix wet ingredients with the exception of the egg whites, mashing banana well into mixture.  Whip egg whites.  Mix dry and wet ingredients, and stir until well combined.  Heat a pan over medium heat with butter as needed.  Mix in about 1/3 of the egg whites, and combine well.  Fold in the remaining egg whites, turning bowl and folding over to combine.   Cook over medium heat, turning when ready.  Serve immediately.  These WILL deflate over time like a souffle.