Instructions

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