Breakfast Pancakes

Directions

1. 1
   Put a frying pan on a low to medium heat and melt the butter. Whilst the butter is melting, measure the flour and sift into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, sugar and baking powder.
2. 2
   Measure the milk in a measuring jug. Separate the eggs and place the whites in a cup, adding the yolks to the milk. Add the melted butter from the frying pan. Remove as much from the pan as you can, but don't be too particular. The remaining butter in the frying pan will be used to cook the pancakes in. I use a rubber spatula to get most of it off the pan. Leave the ring on, but don't put the pan back on it. (I have an electric cooker which takes a long time to heat up). In this way you can start cooking the pancakes as soon as the batter is ready.
3. 3
   When the butter has coagulated, add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix them up. I use a metal spoon. It is at this stage you can judge whether the mixture has the right consistency.
4. 4
   Wash the measuring jug and dry it thoroughly. Pour the egg whites into it and whisk with an electric hand-held whisk. I whisk them until they are quite hard. (If there are lumps in the batter, you can user the whisk to get rid of them.) Using the spatula (from the butter, right?), transfer all the egg whites into the big bowl. Fold the egg whites into the batter with the metal spoon until they are all incorporated. The batter is now ready.
5. 5
   Put the frying pan back on the heat and wait until it is to a reasonable temperature. I can't be more specific because it depends on your cooker and the frying pan that you are using. Make the pancakes one at a time, turning them over when the underside is cooked. Eat immediately with butter and maple syrup.