This is the family recipe we’ve been using since I was a child. This will make approximately 6 large pancackes, or 12 small ones. Nana used to let me eat the butter when my mom wasn’t watching, which I also highly recommend.

Note: Do not flip the pancakes more than once. Do not whack them with your spatula. Do not shake the pan around. You just spent a lot of time beating some egg whites so the pancakes are light and fluffy. Don’t ruin it.

Ingredients

• 2c (9oz) all purpose flour
• 1T sugar
• 0.5t salt
• 2t baking soda
• 2.5c buttermilk
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1T melted butter
• 0.5t vanilla extract

Method

1. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl
2. Put buttermilk, egg yolks, vegetable oil, and vanilla into a separate bowl. Whisk until well mixed.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff
4. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients. Mix with whisk until just incorporated. It is ok if a few lumps still exist. Overmixing will make the pancakes tough.
5. Fold stiff egg whites into batter until just incorporated. It is ok if a few blobs of egg white still remain unincorporated.
6. Preheat heavy bottomed (I use cast iron) skillet over medium heat.
7. Spray skillet with cooking spray or grease with a little butter. Ladle approximately 1/2c of batter onto the skillet. Distribute the batter with the back of a ladle moving in a circular motion until the pancake is about 6 inches around.
8. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2-4 minutes, until the edges of the pancake is set and at least one bubble that has formed leaves a small hole in the pancake when it pops. Flip with a wide spatula.
9. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown.
10. Serve with your favorite pancake topping. I like a mixture of apple butter and maple syrup.