I won't pretend my efforts to give up white flour for Lent have been easy, especially as the weekend kicks into gear. I eat relatively healthy meals and snacks during the week, but by the weekend am usually ready to indulge in some of my favorite treats. Most of these treats by the way, are generally not organic and some would make a committed vegan shake their heads in shame. Despite the fact that I said I may decide to mostly follow a whole-grain diet past the 40-day season, there are just some times when a girl has got to have her cake (or pizza or fast-food burger) and eat it too.

As I lamented earlier today finding whole-grain options in restaurants can be difficult. When I cook and eat at home I can usually make substitutions for these indulgences and fortunately I am now prepared for Saturday morning. Please understand this treats-on-weekends routine must date back to my childhood as I distinctly remember watching Saturday morning cartoons with a massive bowl of sugary cereal that was strictly reserved for this most sacred occasion and was definitely not permitted during the week. Obviously the tradition of Saturday morning breakfast can't be broken and won't be thanks to this whole-grain pancake recipe. Apparently these are quite good with melted butter, real maple syrup and caramelized apples. They're pancakes themselves are even low in sugar, though I'm guessing the aforementioned syrup and apples help level the playing field.

Hit the jump to view the recipe and some other tips, including alternate methods of preparation to make the pancakes lighter (which incidentally does mean the inclusion of white flour).

Whole-Grain Pancakes
Adapted from Gary Danko

Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Ingredients 
Butter as needed
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2/3 cup buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander or cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
2 cups milk

Melt 3 tablespoons butter. In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt.  Beat egg whites with an electric mixer or a whisk until stiff peaks form, but do not overbeat. In separate bowl, beat milk, yolks and melted butter until foamy, a couple of minutes. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and give a couple of good stirs, but do not over-mix. Fold in egg whites and stir until batter is just evenly coloured and relatively smooth; it's okay if there are some lumps.

Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) or griddle over medium heat until a few drops of water dance on its surface. Add butter as needed (or use a thin film of neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn). When skillet is hot, spoon batter into pan. Cook until bubbles form and pop, about 2 minutes; you may have to rotate cakes to cook them evenly, depending on your heat source and pan. Then carefully flip pancakes. Cook until well-coloured on other side, another minute or two more.

Serve or keep in warm oven for a few minutes.

Makes at least 6 servings.

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