BACON PANCAKES

BACON PANCAKES 1 lb. thin bacon, crisped & crumbled 6 large eggs, separated into egg whites and egg yolks 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (4 teaspoons, total) baking powder ¾ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 cups whole milk ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon almond extract 12 tablespoons (¾ cup) unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons butter, for cooking Toppings: butter, confectioner’s (powdered) sugar, cinnamon sugar, syrup, jam, jelly, fresh fruit or Maple Butter Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet to use to keep the cooked pancakes warm. Cut bacon into 1/8 inch pieces and fry until crisp (or to your liking). Transfer crisp bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set it aside until ready to use. The bacon can be cooked up to 4 days prior to using, but keep the cooked bacon in the refrigerator. Pour the bacon grease in a heatproof dish to cool, then place it, covered, in the fridge to use in other recipes. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently transfer the beaten egg whites to another large bowl and set them aside until ready to use. In the same mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, milk, melted butter and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated – about 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and stir just until all flour is wet. The batter will be lumpy. Gently fold half of the beaten egg whites into the batter. Now, fold in the remaining half of the beaten egg whites. The egg whites should NOT be fully incorporated into the batter. Heat a griddle until hot and add 1-tablespoon butter. Pour 2 tablespoons batter, per pancake, onto the griddle. The griddle should hold 4 pancakes at one time. Sprinkle cooked bacon pieces over the pancakes while the batter is still raw. When bubbles form on the top of the pancakes (about 2 minutes), check the undersides to see if they are golden brown. If ready, flip the pancakes over (*Do NOT flip the pancakes over until the tops have bubbles) and continue cooking about 1-2 minutes or until the pancakes are cooked through. Transfer pancakes to the prepared cooling rack and place then in the oven to keep warm. Repeat the process, adding extra butter, for cooking, when needed, until all pancakes have been cooked. Serve with your favorite toppings.