Melt the butter, then let it cool.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the egg yolks, cold milk, sugar, and the cooled melted butter. Whisk everything together until you get a smooth, lump-free batter.

Stir in a small amount of the beaten egg whites to loosen the batter. At this stage, you don’t need to be gentle.

Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites using a spatula, lifting the batter from the bottom to the top to avoid deflating them and to keep the mixture airy.

The batter should be smooth, not too thick or too runny. It should spread slowly in the pan. Use the back of a ladle to help it along, if needed.

Cook immediately, no resting time is required.

Lightly grease a non-stick pan (or, like me, a small pan) with a little oil or butter, then heat it over low heat.

Pour a small ladle of batter into the pan and, if you prefer thin pancakes, gently spread it with the back of the ladle. For fluffy pancakes, do not spread the batter.

Cook for about 1 minute, until bubbles appear on the surface.

As soon as bubbles appear on the surface, gently flip the pancake and cook for about 30 seconds more. Watch carefully, as it cooks quickly and can burn easily.

The pancakes will puff up and become very fluffy.

Place the cooked pancakes on a plate and cover them with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Continue cooking until all the batter is used up.

Serve as you like with maple syrup, honey, chocolate, fruit, or your favorite toppings.