These really are the best hotcakes: served with sizzled apples, crispy bacon and maple syrup, they’re simply gorgeous.
Ingredients
—2 cups plain flour Pinch of salt 1½ tsp baking powder 2 tsp caster (superfine granulated) sugar, plus extra for apples 2 large (size 7) free-range eggs 500ml (17 fluid ounces) buttermilk Finely grated zest 1 lemon 2 Tbsp melted butter, plus extra for apples 4 Granny Smith or fresh new season apples Olive oil and butter for hot plate and frying Grilled rashers of streaky bacon for serving Maple syrup for serving
Method
—1 Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and add sugar. Separate eggs, putting egg whites in a clean grease-free bowl and the yolks in a jug. Add buttermilk and lemon zest to egg yolks and whisk together. Add melted butter.
2 Peel and grate two of the apples. Wrap in paper towels and squeeze to extract moisture. Add to buttermilk mixture.
3 Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and stir just until mixed. Fold in egg whites.
4 Cook hotcakes on a preheated oiled or buttered barbecue hot plate (griddle) over gentle heat. Drop tablespoons of mixture onto hot plate and spread a little with a spoon to circles about 8cm (about 3”) in diameter. Cook until golden brown underneath. Flip and cook the other side until golden. Transfer to a cake rack and keep warm covered with a clean tea towel while cooking remaining hotcakes. Alternatively, cook hotcakes in a large non-stick frying pan (skillet) over medium heat.
5 Meanwhile, slice remaining apples thickly and dredge with caster sugar. Cook in a small non-stick pan in sizzling butter until golden. Serve hotcakes with bacon, sizzled apples and maple syrup.
Photography Aaron McLean http://www.aaronmclean.com
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