Gingerbread Pancakes

 

I have lists and bookmarks and files of recipes for all kinds of delicious confections that are perfect for the holidays. When Thanksgiving flies by and Christmas comes in, I find it difficult to fit those exciting things into my schedule, or, really, my calorie budget. And so, I find simple ways to get holiday flavors into more or less everyday dishes. Such is the case with these Gingerbread Pancakes.

All I did here was take my usual buttermilk pancake recipe and doctor it up with the flavors of gingerbread: molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. I also substituted the buttermilk with a mixture of yogurt thinned with milk, just because that’s what was in the refrigerator, and part of holiday simplicity involves limiting trips to the grocery store.

The mix and balance of flavors in these pancakes were exactly what I was looking for, especially for the ease in which they came together. They’re warm and comforting, delicious and satisfying. They’re full of the great taste of gingerbread, just right for Christmas breakfast.

Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread Pancakes

You could substitute the yogurt-milk mixture with an equal amount of buttermilk.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon fine salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

¾ cup plain or vanilla yogurt

¼ cup milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon canola oil (or other neutral oil)

2 tablespoons molasses

1. Preheat an electric griddle to 350 F or a large skillet on the stove to medium heat. Preheat the oven to 200 F (to keep the pancakes warm for service). In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar. Whisk together to combine. Set aside.

2. In a measuring cup (or in a small bowl) combine the yogurt and milk. Stir together until smooth. Set aside.

3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the egg, oil and molasses. Whisk together until very smooth. Whisk in the yogurt mixture. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened. The batter will be somewhat thick. If it is too thick, add some additional milk.

4. Pour a little oil into the preheated griddle or pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour a scant ¼ cup batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the edges of the pancakes look dry and the tops are bubbly. The bottoms may appear quite brown, but don’t worry. Flip the pancakes and cook on the other side until browned and cooked through. Repeat with all the remaining batter. Keep warm in the preheated oven. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Makes about 8 4-inch pancakes, about 2 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Gingerbread Muffins, Butter Pecan Pancakes