I always imagined pancakes served stacked like a leaning tower of Piza surrounded by a noisy crowd of happy kids. (However, I’ve learned that stacking hot pancakes is not such a good idea!) Even though all those kids have long since grown up, the Zen River crew still love it when pancakes show up for breakfast 🙂

Still, sometimes it’s just you and the dog, the cat, or the budgie. Or simply no-one else is around to share the fun. This recipe makes enough pancakes for one or two people, which is also handy when you need a few gluten-free pancakes alongside a crowd.

If you prefer plain pancakes, omit the cheese and onions.

Makes 2 large or 4 small pancakes.

Ingredients

1 large egg
150 ml (⅔ cup) milk, any kind
1 teaspoon sugar
Sprinkle of salt
80 g (½ cup) flour, or gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 green onion
2 tablespoons grated cheese
Oil for frying

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• Crack the egg and whisk in a mixing bowl. Add the milk and sugar, and whisk again until frothy.
• In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Sift the flour into the milk and egg, and then gently whisk. A few small lumps in the batter are okay. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Add a little more fluid a tablespoon at a time if it feels to thick and sticky – sometimes gluten-free flours absorb more fluid than wheat flour.
• Roughly mince the green onions.
• Preheat a nonstick frying pan on low–medium flame with a little oil until a drop of the mixture sizzles on touching the frying pan.
• Pour roughly 150 ml (⅔ cup) of batter into the middle of the frying pan, allowing the batter to spread out naturally.
• Sprinkle the pancake evenly with some grated cheese and green onions.
• Cook until bubbles form and the shine on the batter disappears. Then
  flip it over and cook for a few more minutes until the cheese and batter are golden, usually half the time it took for the first side to cook.
• Lift up the edges to check the colour underneath. Repeat until all the batter is finished.
• Let the pancakes breathe on a wire rack until slightly cooled. Stack, or
  reheat by spreading out on an oven rack in a hot oven for 5 minutes before serving.