Tofu brekkie pancakes

Ingredients

·         50g Brazil nuts

·         sliced banana, to serve

·         berries, to serve

·         maple syrup or honey, to serve

For the batter

·         349g pack firm silken tofu

·         2 tsp vanilla extract

·         2 tsp lemon juice

·         400ml unsweetened almond milk

·         1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 1-2 tbsp extra for frying

·         250g buckwheat flour

·         4 tbsp light muscovado sugar

·         1½ tsp ground mixed spice

·         1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder

Method

1.    Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Scatter the nuts over a baking tray and cook for 5 mins until toasty and golden. Leave to cool, then chop. Turn the oven down low if you want to keep the whole batch of pancakes warm, although I think they are best enjoyed straight from the pan.

2.    Put the tofu, vanilla, lemon juice and 200ml of the milk into a deep jug or bowl. Using a stick blender, blend together until liquid, then keep going until it turns thick and smooth, like yogurt. Stir in the oil and the rest of the milk to loosen the mixture.

3.    Put the dry ingredients and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine and aerate. If there are any lumps in the sugar, squish them with your fingers. Make a well in the centre, pour in the tofu mix and bring together to make a thick batter.

4.    Heat a large (ideally non-stick) frying pan and swirl around 1 tsp oil. For golden pancakes that don’t stick, the pan and oil should be hot enough to get an enthusiastic sizzle on contact with the batter, but not so hot that it scorches it. Test a drop.

5.    Using a ladle or large serving spoon, drop in 3 spoonfuls of batter, easing it out gently in the pan to make pancakes that are about 12cm across. Cook for 2 mins on the first side or until bubbles pop over most of the surface. Loosen with a palette knife, then flip over the pancakes and cook for 1 min more or until puffed up and firm. Transfer to the oven to keep warm, if you need to, but don’t stack the pancakes too closely. Cook the rest of the batter, using a little more oil each time. Serve warm with sliced banana, berries, toasted nuts and a good drizzle of maple syrup or honey.