I've been challenged in cooking and baking lately, as it seems I'll be dwelling in the land of the dairy-free for the foreseeable future. Surveying the landscape I am fairly optimistic about my prospects for eating well and not going crazy with longing for whipped cream. As long as I don't think too much about cream. Or cheese. But really, life isn't so bad: any Asian food is a guaranteed option, milk substitutes aren't bad for baking, and I love all things coconut, so coconut oil-based brownies are fine by me. Also: Trader Joe's Belgian chocolate bars = no milk solids = completely allowed. Oh. Yeah. I'll be okay.
This pancake recipe is adapted from one I cut out from the paper some time ago. I was unimpressed the first time---way too much nutmeg and way not enough sugar. But there was potential, so I kept tweaking it, this last time needing to replace the original butter and milk. It turns out canola oil and your choice of milk substitute (I favor almondmilk) work fine, and especially correcting the spice imbalances makes this a very tasty pancake indeed.
This makes a thick batter. Just add more milk if you prefer them thinner--in my experience this makes them less prone to burning or being underdone. You kind of have to spread the batter out in the pan with the lesser amount of milk, but I like the results better.
Sweet potato pancakes
Yield: about 8 3" pancakes, serving 4
3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour, or white whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 c. mashed cooked sweet potatoes
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 to 1 1/2 c. almond or soy milk (see note)
2 Tbsp. vegetable/canola oil
Chopped toasted pecans, to taste
Maple syrup
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
2. In a blender or a large food processor, puree the potatoes til smooth. Add the eggs and brown sugar and blend/process til combined. Gradually mix in the milk (being careful, if you have a food processor, not to exceed the liquid fill line), then the oil.
3. Fold the blended mixture into the flour mixture, then spoon out 1/3-cupfuls onto a hot griddle or nonstick skillet. Cook and serve hot with pecans and syrup.
