Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon, Apples and Whipped Maple Butter

I cooked this plate of decadent Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon, Apples and Whipped Maple Butter on Mornings on Channel 9 in the Battle of the Chefs against Tom Kime and won!

Makes 6 pancakes
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
6 rashers thinly sliced bacon
Butter, to cook pancakes
Maple syrup, to serve

Pancakes
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
pinch salt
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 egg, separated
15g butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk

Caramelised Apples
30g butter
¼ cup (50g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 large (360g) apples, peeled, cored and sliced crossways thinly
pinch ground cinnamon

Whipped Maple Butter
60g soft butter
½ tablespoon icing sugar mixture
½ tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons (25g) Vienna almonds, chopped coarsely (if available)

1. Place the bacon in a cold frying pan over low heat. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until the fat has rendered and the bacon is very crisp. Keep warm.
2. For caramelised apples, heat the butter in a large frying pan, add the brown sugar and apples; and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender. Stir in the cinnamon.
3. For Whipped maple butter, Beat the butter in a small bowl with an electric mixer until as white as possible. Beat in the icing sugar and maple syrup then fold in the almonds.
4. For Pancakes, sift flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the combined egg yolks, butter, vanilla and buttermilk. Beat egg whites in a clean small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Carefully fold in about a third of the egg whites into the batter then the remaining egg whites until combined.
5. Pour ¼ cups (60ml) of the batter into a heated, lightly greased, heavy-based frying pan. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until bubbles appear. Turn pancakes and cook until lightly browned underneath. Remove from the pan and stack pancakes; cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
6. Serve topped with whipped maple butter, caramelised apples, crisp bacon and extra maple syrup.

Try these other great breakfast recipes:
Vitamin Red Breakfast Bowl
Baked Eggs with Pancetta
Baked Huevos Rancheros