Gluten & Dairy Free Buckwheat & Coconut Pancakes

It's the morning after NYE. How was yours? Did you get up to any mischief? ;) Or did you fall asleep by the 9pm fireworks and enjoy a good sleep in the next day? Either way this recipe is one that caters for any gluten free or dairy free eaters because I'm guessing that there are some sore heads out there and the idea of making separate dishes for different people sounds like an insurmountable and possibly loathsome task.

This year, we spent New Years Eve at friends Louise and Viggo's house in Manly passing it very civilly where the only danger involved eating too much delicious food and dodging stray popping champagne corks. And now that the fireworks have passed and it is now past 3 o'clock on the 1st of January 2012, I have a teensy feeling that this will be a good year because our first small stroke of luck this year was getting a cab home easily (no mean feat on New Year's Eve) at 2:00am. My first comment of the new year was also one that made me smile broadly. It was on an older recipe, the Beef and Beer Stew with Cheese Dumplings where reader Adriana shared this lovely comment:

_"Call it Marriage Maker stew! I made this for my boyfriend Christmas eve and Christmas morning… He proposed! Getting married April 2012! This is stew has become a part of our history and I will cook it in my kitchen for special occasions forever:)IT REALLY WORKS!" _

Back to these pancakes though and the impending morning that I think will be upon us before long. These are made using buckwheat which is one of the flour bases for blinis and other delicious little pancakey or pikelety morsels. I found myself with a large bag of it and have been trying to use it up before its best before date. Buckwheat is a gluten free flour and has an unusual flavour almost like wholemeal flour but with a silky rather than a rough texture. The baking powder lightens these up and  the coconut milk replaces the dairy component of milk. And they're the perfect foil for any sorts of toppings you might like too, my favourite being the three day strawberry jam. And of course you can serve these with bacon and eggs or whatever hair of the dog might aid in your post NYE celebration recovery ;)

So tell me Dear Reader, how did you spend your New Year's Eve this year?

Buckwheat & Coconut Pancakes (Gluten & Dairy Free)

An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella

Makes 5-6 pancakes

• 1 cup buckwheat flour (if you aren't a gluten free eater you can also use plain flour or a combination of plain & buckwheat flours)

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 3 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

• fat pinch of salt

• 350ml coconut milk or cream (you can also use milk if dairy free is not a concern but your batter will be a bit runnier)

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Zest of 1/2 an orange or lemon (optional)

• Oil for frying

• Strawberry jam to serve (I used the lovely liquidy three day strawberry jam)

Step 1 - In a bowl measure the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt mixing well. In a measuring jug whisk the coconut cream or milk , eggs, vanilla and zest until combined. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the centre mixing the wet and dry ingredients together and remove any lumps (buckwheat is a very fine flour and there shouldn't be too many lumps if any). Set aside for 30 minutes.

Step 2 - Heat a frypan to medium heat and add oil for frying. Ensure that the batter is stirred between making pancakes as sometimes there can be a thicker layer forming on top. Drop ladlefuls of the pancake mixture and turn over carefully once holes start to form on the surface of the batter. Serve with jam or your favourite pancake accompaniments.