Gingerbread Pancakes with Banana and Caramel

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 125g (1/2 cup) sour cream
• 125ml (1/2 cup) milk
• 2 eggs, separated
• 50g butter, melted, cooled
• 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• Melted butter, to grease
• 2 large ripe bananas, peeled, sliced diagonally
• Vanilla ice-cream, to serve

• Caramel butter sauce

• 215g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 2 tbs water
• 310ml (1 1/4 cups) pouring cream
• 25g butter
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. To make the caramel butter sauce, combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, without stirring, for 6-7 minutes or until syrup is dark golden. Remove from heat. Add the cream and butter. Swirl the pan to combine. Place over medium heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce comes to the boil. Set aside to cool. Stir in the vanilla.
2. Whisk the sour cream, milk, egg yolks and butter in a bowl until smooth.
3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre. Add the sour cream mixture and stir until well combined.
4. Whisk the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until firm peaks form. Use a large metal spoon to stir a little of the egg white into the batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg white.
5. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Brush with melted butter to lightly grease. Pour 125ml (1/2 cup) of batter into the pan to form a 15cm-diameter pancake. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface and the pancake is golden underneath. Turn and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat, in 5 more batches, with melted butter and the remaining batter, reheating the pan between batches, to make 6 pancakes.
6. Divide the pancakes among serving plates. Top with the banana and a scoop of ice-cream. Drizzle over the caramel butter sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

• 
  Cook's tip: Be careful when swirling the saucepan in step 1 - the syrup will spit slightly as you add the cream and butter.