Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

1 . Stage

In a mixing bowl, by hand, whisk together egg yolks, milk, almond extract, and lemon zest. Add the flour and salt and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

2 . Stage

In the bowl of a stand mixer using a whisk attachment, combine egg whites and lemon juice. Beat on medium high speed until frothy then sprinkle in cream of tartar with the mixer running. When egg whites have become more frothy than liquidy, scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all cream of tartar is incorporated. Return whisk to medium high speed and very gradually add powdered sugar to the egg whites, continuing to whip until the meringue reaches a stiff peak, about 10 minutes. (Since this recipe doesn’t use baking powder, this step is super important! Be patient and let the meringue stiffen until it resembles the texture of a marshmallow.)

3 . Stage

While the meringue whips, prep 4 ring molds by wiping the insides with neutral oil. Place the ring molds in a large nonstick skillet (with a lid) over low heat. Lightly grease the pan with a neutral oil, making sure to wipe away excess oil. For an electric griddle, the lowest setting should suffice, for a gas stove, medium low. The pan should be warm enough to help the bottoms of the pancakes set but not hot enough to immediately evaporate water. 

4 . Stage

Add ⅓ of the meringue into the egg yolk base and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining meringue to the batter and gently fold the meringue into the batter until just incorporated and no more streaks are visible. 

5 . Stage

Once the pan is warm, scoop batter into greased ring molds to form 4 even mounds. The batter should be near the top, but be sure not to overfill the ring because it will expand.

6 . Stage

Add 1 tablespoon of water around the pan and cover with lid. Let the pancakes cook, undisturbed for about 8 minutes until the water has evaporated and the bottom of the pancakes have turned a light golden brown.

7 . Stage

Carefully flip the pancakes (see note above) in their rings and add another tablespoon of water to the pan. Cover the pan and cook the pancakes for another 5 to 6 minutes. Once fully cooked, gently remove the ring mold from each pancake using a pair of silicone tongs. If pancakes don’t release cleanly, gently slide a butter knife around the edge of the mold and gently jiggle the mold until the pancake comes loose. Once the pancakes are out of their molds, trim any extra with a butter knife.

8 . Stage

Serve the pancakes immediately, topped with softened butter and agave, if using.