Hi Phil,
You don't need a *wife* as such, just somebody who is experienced with "kitchen chemistry" and the properties of different ingredients! Since your BF is a bit useless in the kitchen department, that will have to be YOU!
I agree with Kiwi - you need to rethink your concept of 'cake' and 'pancake'... use the recipes from the forum here and experiment, experiment, experiment, then write down your own "best versions".
Here's a few tips from an experienced kitchen chemist (who also hates that "eggy" taste...!)for you, though:
1. Burnt outside and raw inside = too much heat or too much sugar in the mix. Almond (or coconut) flour pancakes take a longer time to cook on a lower heat - *very* different from regular thin crepes, pancakes or even flapjacks. Keep them small (more like pikelets).
I have actually developed my own hybrid recipe using both AF and CCNF...AF alone is a bit crumbly, and CCNF is a bit dry. I am a bit lazy and do it by "feel" - the way my mum taught me to cook, but I could try to nut out some recipes for you if you want specific things.
2. You need to up the oil/fat content when baking with AF. This can be achieved by either more egg yolks (You will see the recipes call for plenty of eggs to start with..) or oil/fat.
3. Mix your own raising agent from cream of tartar (2 parts) and bicarb soda(1 part). Mix up a batch and store it in a little jar (well sealed, as it absorbs moisture over time). Use it a bit more liberally than you would reg baking powder when cooking with AF.
3.If things are crumbly, rather than truly *dry* then increase the liquid using egg white as a binding agent. Thta's where the AF / CCNF combo comes in handy too...
4. Almond flour recipes give a nice crunchy crust on the outside and a moist filling on the inside. I find dropping the oven heat a bit more than regular cakes helps with this.
5. Try separating the eggs and beating the whites stiffly with a pinch of cream of tartar and fold them in last of all - this gives a lovely light texture to a nut meal cake.
6. Don't be tempted to use margarine - it's mainly water and poor quality fats - go for real butter or coconut oil (solid at room temperature). I can't use butter for my dairy allergic DD, so if it's for a family occasion, then I would go the CCN oil route.
7. Leave the mix to sit for 10 minutes , especially for batters before you use it. If you're using CCNF then it will really suck up the moisture! AF needs fat, CCNF needs water.... if you add more water to AF, it will just make it sloppy with a nasty texture rather than *moist*.
Here endeth the AF / CCNF cooking lesson!
Oh, and for the record - all the starch-free cakes / slices that I bake get cut up and frozen, so that there is always something on hand. A small piece is usually quite filling, so a little effort goes a long way!
Bon apetit!
