Please Mom with guiltless corncakes

Mother’s Day breakfast used to be simple. A stack of pancakes, a pile of waffles, or maybe French toast and bacon. And don’t forget the butter and syrup.

But in these more nutrition-conscious times, moms may not want to start the day by pounding so many calories and refined carbs – even in their own honor.

So how to give Mom a satisfying breakfast without the guilt? Many classics are easily remade. It’s mostly a matter of switching out some of the less desirable carbs and fats with better choices, such as whole-wheat flour and nut and canola oils.

These griddled corncakes with cinnamon-honey yogurt topping are an easy-to-prepare homemade breakfast.

The batter is made mostly from whole grains, calling for both stone-ground cornmeal and whole-wheat flour, and contains just a small amount of sugar.

After being whisked together, the dry ingredients are moistened with skim milk, vegetable oil instead of butter, a bit of nonfat plain yogurt and whipped egg whites. That last ingredient is the key to producing light and fluffy pancakes.

For a topping, instead of pats of butter and pools of syrup, we’ve created a sweet and tangy mixture of yogurt spiked with a touch of cinnamon and honey. Plain Greek-style yogurt is the perfect base for the topping because it’s been strained of excess liquid and has a rich, creamy texture without added fat.

Griddled Corncakes with Cinnamon-Honey Yogurt

3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups skim milk

1 1/4 cups plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt (divided)

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, plus more for the griddle

4 egg whites

1/4 cup honey, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, both flours, baking powder, sugar and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, 1/4 cup of the yogurt and the oil. Add the dry ingredients and stir until blended.

In another medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Lightly oil a large heavy nonstick skillet or griddle. Heat the skillet or grill over medium. Working in batches, use about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake to make 12 pancakes. Cook until browned and puffed, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Meanwhile, to make the topping, in a small bowl, whisk together the honey, cinnamon and remaining 1 cup of yogurt. Serve the pancakes with the yogurt topping spooned on top.

Yield: 6 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 269 calories, 6 grams fat (no saturated fat, 19 percent fat calories), 10 grams protein, 46 grams carbohydrate, 2 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams dietary fiber, 344 milligrams sodium.