Chocolate (Whole Wheat) Pancakes

Right smack at the end of a lovely two week winter vacation, the winter of all winters hit Indianapolis.  Sunday was really a lovely day, watching 12 inches of snow fall.  We headed out to shovel the driveway right before dark and our kind neighbor stopped over with his snowblower to help us out.  Monday and Tuesday we got the polar vortex in all its glory: below zero temperatures with wind chill down to 30 below.  Schools were closed all week.  I did venture out to work and the grocery store on Thursday, but the roads were still terrible. 

The kids and I had plenty of indoor time, and I decided to resurrect this blog project.  This seemed like a cheerful post to lead off, as it is still quite gloomy out.  I first made these chocolate pancakes for Valentine's Day several years ago, and it remains a favorite breakfast treat of the girls.  I prefer the addition of chocolate chips to the pancake batter.  Go big or go home, right? 

We've tried a variety of toppings.  Whipped cream and strawberries/raspberries/blueberries...maybe a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel.  My new favorite topping is coconut cream.  I'll have to post that soon as it is so easy and delicious. 

The recipe calls for a small amount of coffee, which enriches the chocolate flavor.  But water can easily be substituted. 
 
Whole Wheat Chocolate Pancakes
From Alida's Kitchen

1 cup white wheat flour (or wheat pastry flour or white flour)

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 TB raw sugar (or granulated sugar)

½ tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup plus 2 TB buttermilk

2 TB brewed coffee (or water)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 TB unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cooking spray

Fruit and whipped cream/coconut cream for topping

In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, coffee, vanilla and butter.

Add buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and gently fold until blended (there may be some lumps).  

Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Let mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.

Preheat non-stick skillet over medium and then spray with cooking spray.  Pour batter in skillet by the 1/4 cup-ful and cook until bubbles appear (about 3 minutes).  

Flip and cook on the other side until done (about 2-3 minutes).  

Repeat with remaining batter.  

Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!

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Granola Pancakes

It's been a weekend of great food.

Since I'm up too early this morning with my two year old, I'll start with breakfast.

On Friday night I was discussing ideas for Saturday breakfast with J. He mentioned granola pancakes that he recently had at a restaurant. Hmmm, as much as I love granola, I wasn't sure about granola pancakes. But it was a unique idea, so I decided to give it a try.

Holy Pancakes, Batman. They turned out fantastic! But they needed something besides plain old maple syrup.

How about Yogurt Maple Syrup?
I added a little pure maple syrup to plain yogurt and drizzled it over the pancakes. Topped with a few extra blueberries, and it was a Saturday morning breakfast dream!

I made these 100% whole wheat, but feel free to adjust the white flour/wheat flour ratio to your preference.
Granola Pancakes with Yogurt Maple Syrup

Adapted from Pancake Lovers

1 1/3 cup prepared granola
1 1/2 cups white wheat flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TB honey
2 cups plain yogurt
2 eggs
1/4 cup cooking oil (vegetable or canola)

Fresh blueberries

Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together the wet ingredients. Combine the wet and dry and stir just until combined.

Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a preheated griddle. Top each pancake with a handful of blueberries. Cook until bubbles start to pop on the pancake surface. Flip and cook about one more minute.

Keep pancakes in a warm oven (about 200 degrees) until you're ready to serve them. Top pancakes with yogurt syrup and more fresh blueberries.

Yield: About 12 pancakes

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