Waffled Pancake Napoleons

Preheat a waffled pancake pan over medium heat.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the buttermilk, butter and 1/2 tsp. of the vanilla until blended. Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the 1/3 cup sugar. Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture and whisk until smooth.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter, then carefully fold in the remaining whites.

Brush each well of the pan with melted butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray; the pan only needs to be greased once. Starting with the outer wells first, pour about 2 Tbs. of the batter into each one, spreading the batter evenly to fill the well. Cook until the pancakes are golden brown underneath, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using a small offset spatula or wooden skewers, turn the pancakes over and gently press them down to ensure a waffled texture on the bottom. Cook until golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining batter. Let the pancakes cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using a handheld mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the 1/4 cup sugar, the cream and the remaining 2 tsp. vanilla until soft peaks form.

For each napoleon, place 1 waffled pancake on a plate. Top with 2 Tbs. whipped cream, followed by a single layer of strawberry slices. Repeat the layering, then top the second layer with another waffled pancake and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve any leftover whipped cream and strawberries alongside the napoleons. Makes about 12 napoleons.