Gingerbread Pancakes

Photo/Robert Banh

I love pancakes: blueberry, strawberry, chocolate chip, apple cinnamon; you name it. If you love them as much as I do, you will want to try this Gingerbread Pancakes recipe. The gingerbread flavor is mild, so add extra ginger if preferred.

There are also some delicious pancake topping recipes floating around on the web. Apple & Pear Topping, Berry Topping, Orange and Grapefruit Syrup, Vanilla-Maple Syrup, Wildberry Inn Blueberry Jam. Try them all!

This recipe is from a recently acquired cookbook, 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes, a previous winner of The Julia Child Cookbook Awards. Well earned.

Makes: 14  3 1/2-inch pancakes; serves 4 to 6
Calories 120 per pancake

Gingerbread Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup milk 
• 3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown or dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses (1 extra tablespoon of brown sugar can be substituted for molasses)
• Butter, margarine, or oil for brushing

Preparation

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and cloves.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Beat in the milk, butter (or margarine), brown sugar, and the molasses (if not substituting more brown sugar).
3. In the large mixing bowl (dry ingredients), add liquid mixture and stir until just combined. It's normal for the batter to have lumps, so don't worry about getting them all out.
4. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until a drop of water skips across the surface of the pan and evaporates.
5. Lightly brush the skillet with butter, margarine, or oil.
6. Drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook until one or two bubbles burst on the top; flip and cook until the pancake turns golden brown on the bottom.
7. Serve warm with a spoonful of your favorite topping.