I’VE been making these for about five years now, and it’s still one of my absolute favourite brunch dishes.

Soft, fluffy, squidgy pancakes, slightly crisp on the outside, filled with juicy chunks of fragrant pear and the caramel-scented crunch of a piece of toasted pecan...heaven.

They’re your basic American-style buttermilk pancake, but infinitely enhanced by the addition of the juicy fruit and nuts. Each bite is slightly different, and the effect is one of utter deliciousness when doused in maple syrup and served with a scattering of fresh raspberries.

Pear and toasted pecan pancakes
(serves 2)

125g spelt flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 egg
200ml buttermilk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 conference pears, cored and finely chopped (peel too, if you like)
60g toasted pecans, finely chopped
Butter, for cooking
Maple syrup and fresh raspberries, to serve

Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle, and crack in the egg. Use an electric whisk to mix the egg into some of the flour, then gradually add the buttermilk to make a fairly thick batter. Stir in the cinnamon.

Pre-heat the oven to 120C. Add the pears and most of the pecans to the batter, and stir in with a spoon until evenly mixed. Heat a large non-stick frying pan, and add a knob of butter. Heat until it’s sizzling, spreading it around to coat the base of the pan (I use kitchen roll to wipe it all over the pan). Dollop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the pan to form rough circles around 3 inches wide, leaving some space between each one. Cook for a couple of minutes, or until bubbles appear on the upper side, then flip over with a spatula and cook for another couple of minutes. Put in the oven to keep warm while you make the rest.

To serve, drizzle with syrup and scatter with the remaining pecans, and fresh raspberries, if you like.

Read Elly’s blog: nutmegsseven.co.uk