I’ve been craving a hot breakfast in the morning lately. Is it because I want to warm up the kitchen on these frigid cold winter mornings? Possibly.

One of my endless goals in life is to create the perfect pancake. One that is easy to make, will sustain me all morning, and, obviously, tastes delicious. I’m not quite there, and I don’t think I will ever be satisfied. Maybe I just like all pancakes too much to settle on just one. This buckwheat/gluten free blend hybrid is a new favorite. I love using buckwheat. It provides a unique, nutty flavor to baked goods. If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that my mother in law is from northern Maine. See the lovely post she co-authored for me on a traditional Acadian meat pie. Buckwheat is commonly used to make ployes, a type of Acadian pancake. Last time we visited, we brought back some of the finely ground buckwheat flour that is hard to find elsewhere in the country. It’s been so fun to work with, and I will be making many more creations to share. It adds some of the heft and flavor that is often missing from gluten free blends.

Other news: I am loving my cast iron griddle for pancakes. When I received it from my mother in law, I imagined using it with a big family bustling around me, cooking a round of bacon, then millions of pancakes all in a row at once. Upon receiving it, I’m pretty sure I just stored it away for a few years, uncertain it would actually be nonstick enough for pancakes, and not worth the trouble for just the two of us. I was totally wrong. This thing works like a charm, and no matter how many pancakes you’re making, it gets the job done way faster than the little skillets I was using. I love that it’s not a nonstick electric griddle (like the one I grew up using), because it doesn’t have the weird hot spots (if you heat it sufficiently beforehand), and I don’t have to worry about the non-stick coating flaking off. I also love how it browns the pancakes. Makes me feel like I’m eating at a diner. It adds a wonderful flavor to the whole operation.

Pear + Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients

3/4 buckwheat flour

1 cup gluten free flour blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1)

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons sugar

1.5 cups dairy free milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil, cooled slightly

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ripe pear, peeled and thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat your griddle or skillet with a small amount of oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients (not pear). Add wet ingredients to dry.
4. Pour batter onto griddle using a 1/4 cup measuring scoop.
5. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add thin slices of pear. Flip and cook until other side is lightly browned.
6. Serve with warmed syrup and butter.