makes about 10 pancakes
I’ve been experimenting with a range of different whole-grain flours, and have found that I absolutely adore the complex, winey nuttiness of buckwheat flour. It’s traditionally used in blinis, but since I don’t make blinis very often (because I don’t serve caviar very often, sadly), I decided to try it in a regular old pancake, the kind I make for breakfast on the weekends. Since I don’t bother using yeast, the flavor isn’t as complex as a blini, but the buttermilk gives it a nice fresh tang and the honey lends a little sweetness that makes these pancakes wonderful on their own, should you choose to forgo any syrupy distractions.
If you are interested in syrup, however, please try this oddball, creamy, exotic-scented, and utterly divine cardamom cream syrup at least once. I can’t really tell you how I came up with it other than to say I like the combination of cardamom with juicy ripe peaches. And I like cardamom cream cakes, which I ate on a brief trip to Sweden. Come to think of it, they grow buckwheat in Sweden, and I’m sure my subconscious was aware of this as I made breakfast that day. So there you have it: Cardamom, cream, peaches, and buckwheat are a natural—okay, a plausible—combination.
In any case, it all works and tastes delicious, no matter how you connect the dots.
1 tablespoon cardamom pods, crushed
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
Pinch kosher salt
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup buckwheat flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups buttermilk, plain yogurt, or sour cream (or a combination), plus more as needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more as needed
Sliced fresh peaches, for serving
1. MAKE THE SYRUP: In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine the cardamom, sugar, and ⅓ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and salt and let it bubble gently for 2 minutes. Let the syrup cool completely; strain.
2. MAKE THE PANCAKES: In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and honey; whisk in the buttermilk and melted butter. Form a well in the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined.
3. Melt some butter on a griddle or in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, spoon ¼-cup dollops of the batter onto the griddle. Cook the pancakes until bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to set, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes more. Cook the remaining batter, adding more butter to the skillet between batches if necessary. Serve the pancakes hot, topped with the cardamom syrup and peaches.