The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking (19 page)

  
Be sure to use a nonstick pan or griddle when cooking pancakes. Most waffle irons are nonstick, which is a good thing, because that’s what you’ll need for these recipes.

  
Adequately preheat your pan or waffle iron. Use a measuring cup or ladle to portion even-sized pancakes onto the pan.

  
We call for using ¼ cup of batter per pancake, but you can certainly make your cakes larger or smaller. With waffles, the size is ultimately determined by the size of your waffle iron.

  
The key to great pancakes and waffles is patience. Follow the doneness cues in the recipe and don’t flip pancakes or try to remove waffles too soon. These pancakes take longer to cook than their conventional counterparts; make sure the underside is medium brown before flipping.

  
The heat level is also important. If it’s too high, the surface will brown before the interior is adequately cooked. If it’s too low, the cakes will take too long to cook and won’t develop that appealing crispy exterior. It may take a few tries before you find the best heat level. However, do note that nut flours are oilier than grain-based flours, so the finished pancakes will be moist inside.

  
If you’d like to serve all of the pancakes at once, hold the cooked cakes in a warm oven (about 200°F, or 93°C) until you’ve cooked all the batter.

  
Another option when serving a crowd is to make small, silver dollar pancakes. They’ll cook more quickly, and the first batch will keep people occupied while you make more.

  
For optimum enjoyment, serve slathered with butter or a high-quality buttery spread, and drizzled with
sugar-free maple-flavored syrup (or pure maple syrup if sugar isn’t an issue for you). We recommend Maple Grove Farms Vermont brand sugar-free maple-flavored syrup, which you can find in most grocery stores alongside all of the other syrups. It has the lowest carb count that we’ve found and the best flavor!

  
You can make a tasty alternative topping by heating sugar-free jam until it thins into a delicious fruit syrup.