We Used Log Cabin Sugar-free Syrup

With a name like "Best Ever Buttermilk Pancakes", I knew I had to try them! These pancakes are not your normal instant or made from a box pancakes. They are a bit more time consuming, but taste just like my grandma used to make. They are well worth a little extra effort. This recipe makes 20 pancakes. I do not know too many people who can eat just two pancakes. I hope you like them!

Beat the egg yolks until pale and smooth. Beat in the buttermilk and then the baking soda. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add to buttermilk mixture and mix until smooth. Stir in melted butter. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter until no egg whites are visible. Let batter stand for 20 minutes before making pancakes.

Heat your griddle or frying pan until very hot. Spray with nonstick spray. Spoon batter by ¼ cupfuls onto hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form across the cakes and allow to lightly brown on the second side. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with warm maple syrup if desired. We used Log Cabin sugar-free syrup.

This week I'm sharing three variations on a simple batter of flour, egg and milk: pancakes, pikelets and waffles. Pikelet batter is a little thicker than pancake batter, which means they rise more than pancakes and take a little longer to cook. Waffles also require a thick batter so it rises as it cooks. Combine flour, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, add eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and melted butter and whisk until smooth. Melt a little extra butter in a heavy-based frying pan.

When it is hot and bubbling, drop in a large tablespoon of batter from the end of a spoon. Cook over medium heat until bubbles form (2-3 minutes) then flip to cook the other side. Transfer to a baking rack. Repeat until all batter is used. Serve in a stack topped with fruit and maple syrup. Annabel says: The acidity of buttermilk is what makes batters (and cakes and muffins) so light and tender. When combined with a leavening agent, such as baking powder or baking soda, it releases carbon dioxide bubbles that lighten whatever you're making.

If you don't have buttermilk, stir 1Tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of milk and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes (it will curdle but that's fine). You can also use yoghurt or sour cream thinned with water, or even kefir. Beat together milk, salt and egg yolks, then whisk in flour and baking powder until smooth. Add the melted butter and beat until smooth. Leave to stand for about 2 hours. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form when the beater is lifted from the bowl.

Pour about ¾ cup of mixture into hot, buttered waffle iron and close. Cook until golden brown. Repeat, buttering waffle iron lightly before cooking each waffle. So they don't go soggy, cool in a toast rack or in a single layer on a cake rack. Annabel says: Is there anything more delicious for a weekend brunch or supper than homemade waffles, fresh from the waffle iron, crispish on the outside and tender in the middle, My nan was the master of the waffle iron, and this recipe is hers.

Waffle batter is best made several hours ahead, or better still, the night before, with beaten egg whites added just before cooking. They'll be eaten faster than you can make them, so aim to have a few ready before everyone arrives at the table. If you don't have a waffle iron, cook spoonfuls of the mixture in a hot, buttered pan, as for pancakes.

Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and creamy. Beat in the milk and golden syrup. Sift in the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add melted butter and stir until smooth. Melt a little butter in a frying pan. Working in batches and adding a little more butter between batches if required, drop tablespoonfuls of batter into the pan and cook over a medium heat.

As bubbles form, turn and cook the other side until golden brown and fully cooked through. So they don't go soggy, cool in a single layer on a rack before stacking on a plate to serve. Serve topped with whipped cream and jam. Annabel says: For blueberry pikelets, fold 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter. For lemon pikelets, finely grate the rind of a lemon into the batter. 65) is a beautiful compendium of Annabel's best-ever savoury recipes and cooking tips and it's on sale now at Paper Plus, Whitcoulls, The Warehouse and all good bookstores.