Apple Strudel Buckwheat Pancakes

Take your first bite of these unique and nutritious pancakes and you will see the whole grain buckwheat in a new light. It’s like having a substantial dessert for breakfast – except that it’s healthy.

Despite its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat and in fact, is not even a cereal or grass. Buckwheat flour can be used much like wheat flour though, and its rich, nutty flavor elevates this dish from ordinary to extraordinary. High in fiber and containing good amounts of protein and B vitamins, it is native to Northern Europe and Asia and has been widely cultivated in China. Today it is popular in France where it forms the basis for their buckwheat crepes.

Pairing richly flavored buckwheat with sweet firm apples results in a pleasing combination. Unlike other pancakes with fruit, the apples are folded into the batter – as opposed to being piled on top – which enables the flavors to mingle and change the texture in delightful ways.

Easy to make and loaded with nutritional benefits, these pancakes are sure to become a breakfast staple on your home menu. They provide the energy to power you through a busy day or just serve to treat your taste buds on a lazy weekend. You can serve them with a bit of pure maple syrup or a dollop of warm apple butter.

Apple Strudel Mixture

– Makes 8 servings.

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup thoroughly chopped walnuts
• 1 large apple (peeled, cored and chopped)

Boil water, then add raisins. Remove from heat and let steep until raisins are plump and reconstituted, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In shallow pan over medium heat add butter. Once butter has melted and is bubbling, stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook for about 3 minutes until sugar starts to dissolve. Add walnuts, apples and raisins. Cook apples until just tender when pierced with fork, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Batter

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups 1% buttermilk
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Canola oil cooking spray

Mix flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium to large bowl. In separate bowl beat eggs lightly and mix with buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract.

Pour wet ingredients into dry, mixing as little as possible. Add strudel mixture and fold all ingredients together. Set aside.

Heat nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat. Grease pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray or a little vegetable oil. Once pan is hot, ladle about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake taking care not to over-crowd the pan. After about 2 or 3 minutes flip pancakes. They should only be flipped once so that they don’t become hard.

Pancakes can be placed in warm oven until ready to serve. Serve warm with your favorite maple syrup.

Per serving: 310 calories, 14 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 41 g carbohydrate, 8 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 165 mg sodium.

The Author:

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) www.aicr.org.