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or put them in a 350°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes to dry them out—you don’t want to toast them. (If you’re in a rush, feel free to skip this step—the French toast will still taste good.)
    Pour the soy creamer and rice milk into a wide, shallow bowl. Mix in the cornstarch and stir until dissolved. Add the chickpea flour and mix until it is mostly absorbed; some lumps are okay.
    Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to create a thin layer on the bottom (a tablespoon or two).
    Soak the bread slices (as many as will fit into your pan) in the mixture and transfer to the skillet. Cook each side for about 2 minutes; if they are not brown enough when you flip them, heat for 1 or 2 more minutes on each side. They should be golden brown with flecks of dark brown. Serve immediately.

    Perfect Pancakes
    There is nothing like a stack of pancakes dripping with maple syrup, served with some smoky tempeh bacon on the side. Although pancake ingredients are fairly simple, the combination of flour and water seems to have an uncanny ability to stress a person out. I’m no motivational speaker, but trust me—it may take a couple of tries to get perfect pancakes but you can do it. Here are some tips to guide you along the way. (If it helps, picture my head in a dream cloud floating above your left shoulder, guiding you on. If that doesn’t help and only serves to freak you out, then just follow these guidelines.)
    âœ— The amount of water you need depends on several factors including altitude and the humidity in the air on any given day. I suggest using the liquid quantities I give as a guideline. First, add ¾ cup of water. If the batter looks too thick, or if your first pancake doesn’t bubble up, add the remaining liquid.
    âœ— Don’t overmix the batter. You want a couple of lumps in the flour; overmixed batter results in rubbery pancakes.
    âœ— You may notice that pancakes get lighter and fluffier as you get to the end of the batter. That’s because the gluten in the flour has had some time to relax. Let your pancake batter sit for 10 minutes or so before proceeding. You can even let it sit overnight, covered and refrigerated. If the batter thickens too much, just add a little water to reconstitute it.
    âœ— Use a heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet for even cooking. Or, you can use a castiron pan because it’s naturally nonstick.
    âœ— Make sure the pan is hot enough, but not smoking. Preheat the pan for 2 minutes and that should do the trick. If you flick a couple of drops of water into the pan, the drops should bounce. You can also do a test with a tablespoon or two of batter.
    âœ— Don’t go crazy with the grease. A very thin coating of oil will do it. Use a spray bottle of canola oil for an even coating. Apply a fresh coat every time you start a new batch.

    âœ— To form your pancakes into perfect circles, use the same amount of batter in a ladle every time. Pour the batter out with a slightly circular motion so that it spreads evenly. Don’t just plop it down or the middle will be thicker than the edges. You can also try using a meat baster; just fill it up and squeeze the pancake batter out. You’ll be amazed at the perfect circles this creates.
    âœ— The most important thing is that you don’t give up. Some say the first pancake is always a flop, so just keep trying. You will get the hang of it!

Pancakes
    MAKES ABOUT SIX 6- T0 7-INCH PANCAKES OR TEN 4-INCH ONES.
    Â 
    Straight up pancakes, just like at the diner at 2:00 AM.
    1¼ cup all-purpose flour
    2 teaspoon baking powder
    Â½ teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
    2 tablespoons canola oil (any mild tasting vegetable oil will do) plus oil for the pan
    â…“ cup water
    1 to 1¼ cups plain rice or soy milk
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
    Oil a large skillet and preheat over medium-high heat about 2 minutes (see Perfect Pancakes