Prep Time:

40 min

|

Cook Time:

6 min

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 ounces butternut or Hubbard squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (about 3 cups)
  1/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)*
  1/2 cup apple juice
  2 large egg whites
  1-to-2 teaspoons maple syrup, plus more for serving
  Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

Directions

1. Juice the squash, reserving the pulp. You should have 1/4 cup pulp and 1/2 cup juice. Put the squash pulp in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the flour. Using your fingertips, gently squeeze the pulp and cake flour together until they are just blended. Add the squash juice and apple juice and stir gently until blended.

2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1-to-2 teaspoons of maple syrup and continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the squash batter. Season with salt and pepper. Gently fold the lightened batter into the egg whites. Be careful not to blend the mixture completely. The more gently you treat the egg whites, the higher the pancakes will rise. You should have about 2-1/3 cups batter.

3. Heat a large nonstick sauté pan, skillet, or griddle over medium heat. Rub the oil over the surface of the hot pan with a paper towel. Ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, or until just set. Using an oiled, thin-bladed metal spatula, very gently turn the pancake over and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, or until done. The pancakes will be very soft and light.

4. As it sits, the batter will separate. Stir or fold it gently before cooking the rest of the pancakes. Serve the pancakes overlapped on heated plates and drizzled with syrup.

   *Note: This recipe calls for a little flour, but I have experimented with no flour at all—just egg whites—with good success.

   
   Excerpted from Taste Pure and Simple: Irresistible Recipes for Good Food and Good Health by Michel Nischan, Chronicle Books, 2003. Copyright © 2003 by Michel Nischan.