“We don’t have any milk.” I had promised pancakes for breakfast. “I can go get some,” I offered, the store being only across the street. But I was still in pyjamas. “No, I’ll go get it,”
Ben claimed, sporting a head-cold, and no pants. Neither of us were going to get milk. “I also forgot the copy the recipe from work.” There is a pancake recipe we use at No 9 for breakfasts that produce the fluffiest, crispiest cakes.
“I’ll just make it up.”
I sifted through my notecards of recipes in the box my grandmother had given me years ago. I had several pancake recipes, none of which I remembered liking, and all calling for milk. We never have milk in the house – I don’t believe in drinking milk, and Ben drinks soy milk. But we always have yogurt (whole-milk Stonyfield). I’d used thinned-out yogurt in place of milk before. For a cup of milk, I used 3/4 cup yogurt + 1/4 cup water.
The only relevant detail from the No 9 recipe was separating the eggs. I love thick fluffy pancakes, and whipping the egg whites adds structure and air to the batter. I also 
increased the sugar, to help yield the crispy edges, and increased the flour, so they wouldn’t be thin and eggy. I opted for cooking them in butter, which can only make them more delicious. The result: the best pancakes I’ve made in this house, yet.
Pancakes
Serves 2-3 (about 8 large pancakes)
1.5 cups AP flour
3.5 tsps baking powder
2 tsps salt
2 Tbs sugar
3 Tbs melted butter, cooled, plus more butter to cook
2 eggs, separated
3/4 cup whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup water
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg yolks, melted butter, yogurt, and water. Mix well – the batter will be thick. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold them into the batter until just mixed – do not over mix. Heat a pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Melt a Tb of butter in the pan, add 1/4 cup scoops of batter. Move pancakes around pan after a minute to brown evenly. Flip once bubbles appear. Continue cooking on medium heat until cooked through. Remove to a warm plate. Add more butter to pan and continue cooking pancakes. Serve with so much butter it makes your mouth hurt. Jam and maple syrup are also good.
