Gluten-Free Nutty Buckwheat Pancakes

They have a pleasing aroma, brown color, and a hearty bite. Buckwheat is famously healthy, strengthening blood vessels and supplying essential vitamins and minerals. Note: buckwheat is not a grain or a member of the wheat family. Rather, it is the seed of a vegetable and belonging to the rhubarb family. Early settlers named these nourishing, native seeds ‘buckwheat’ because they could be used like wheat when ground into flour.

Ingredients

• 1 cup GF buckwheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• 1 scant teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fructose
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup of milk or substitute, such as rice milk or soy milk
• 3 tablespoons oil (safflower, corn, olive, canola)
• 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Equipment

• A medium bowl.
• 1 griddle or large, metal skillet.  Unless it’s non-stick, your griddle or skillet should be rubbed with a small piece of paper towel dipped in cooking oil when the pan is warming, but not yet hot.  This procedure removes any film that would cause the pancakes to stick.

Process

1. Preheat the griddle or skillet to 375 if electric, otherwise on medium high heat. Grease lightly with oil. Pan is ready when a small drop of water sizzles and disappears almost immediately.
2. Mix dry ingredients together.  Mix eggs, milk and oil then add to the dry ingredients and mix.
3. Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto hot surface.
4. Cook about 1 1/2 minutes or until the edges are cooked and bubbles form on the pancake surface. Flip, and cook the other side another 1 1/2 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with maple syrup, honey or fruit spread.
Freezes up to 2 months.
Microwave 20 seconds each to reheat or place in a toaster oven.