Almond Pancakes: Countdown to Valentine's Day

Breakfast on Valentine's Day should be as delicious as romance and as perfect as love.

My Multigrain Almond Pancakes are made with three different kinds of flours-- barley, spelt, and whole-wheat-- but you could easily substitute with other flours like oat flour or even a gluten-free baking mix. But here's what makes them really special: I add to them some almond paste, almond milk, and a few chopped almonds, ingredients that make them tender, nutty, extra-flavorful, and healthy, of course.

Although I meant to focus mainly on (Indian) dinner foods for this series as we countdown to Valentine's Day, I couldn't resist the idea of throwing in a hearty-- and heart-healthy-- breakfast with the added mojo of the very aphrodisiacal almond. Here's a nut that has been long considered a fertility symbol and is even heart-shaped (kinda). What's more, it is packed with energizing protein, is certified heart-healthy, and you really don't need an excuse to eat it, do you? All the wholegrain and multigrain flour in these pancakes is just more goodness for your heart.

I wish I had one of those heart-shaped molds so I could have shaped these pancakes into little hearts (cheesy, but fun!), but I didn't so I didn't. I served these with some pure maple syrup and chopped almonds, but you might want to try them with my Apricot-Walnut Syrup for more nutty, fruity goodness.

More romantic goodness coming up soon. Enjoy, all!

Multigrain Almond Pancakes

(Makes 10 pancakes)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup barley flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl mix together:

2 tbsp flaxmeal

6 tbsp warm water

1 1/2 cups almond or other nondairy milk

1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup almonds, crushed or chopped into small pieces

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Add the well-mixed wet ingredients to the dry. Mix the batter until everything is just moistened. The batter should still be lumpy.

Heat a griddle until water sprinkled on the surface evaporates rightaway.

Spray with some vegetable oil. Use a 1/4-cup measure to pour out each pancake.

Cook until the sides start to dry and bubbles appear on top. Flip over and cook for a minute.

Stack and serve piping hot with or without some vegan butter and syrup.