Gingerbread Pancakes

The author of these pancakes calls himself a "pancake purist" and his directions are detailed and picky, but the results are some tasty pancakes. Top these pancakes with whipped cream and maple syrup and you have a breakfast fit for the Holidays. During Christmas time I like to make extra and keep them on hand in the freezer.

Gingerbread Pancakes

Recipe By: Yee-Fan Sun
Categories: Breads, Breakfast, Freezer Recipes, Holiday Favorites

1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 Tbsp. cooking oil or melted butter
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt

Combine all the dry ingredients and stir until evenly mixed. Combine all the wet ingredients in another bowl; give all that a good stir as well. Gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until just combined. Don't get too zealous with the mixing at this point, as you want to avoid overdeveloping the gluten in the flour, unless tough and rubbery are qualities you like in your pancakes.

At this point, give the baking powder a little time to do its thing (if you look at the batter, you should start to see little bubbles forming). Resist the urge to stir your batter after it's gotten nice and bubbly -- you'll only release all that air, and your pancakes won't end up as airy.

Meanwhile, heat up a smidgen of cooking oil in a skillet or griddle. When a drop of batter immediately starts to come together when it hits the pan, the oil's ready. Use a ladle to spoon some batter into the pan - I generally make the first pancake small, as it's a guinea pig pancake that I use to decide whether the heat needs to be raised or lowered. When the top of the pancake is covered in tiny air holes, flip that baby. If you find that the bottom has burned by the time it reaches that stage, you'll want to turn down the heat to cook up your next batch.

Keep your pancakes toasty by placing them in a warmed oven until you've finished all the cooking and they're ready to be served (alternatively, if formality's not an issue, eat those pancakes as they come out of the pan -- they really do taste best that way). Serve with lemon curd (or maple syrup if your prefer) and fresh blueberries.

JEN'S FREEZER DIRECTIONS: You can make these pancakes ahead of time and freeze them. I freeze them in a labelled gallon freezer bag, separated by wax paper so they don't stick together.
TO SERVE: Thaw or warm up in the microwave or toast in the toaster. These pancakes are delicious when they are a little crispy and toasty, and they make they house wonderful.

Source: http://www.digsmagazine.com/
Internet Address: http://www.digsmagazine.com/nourish/nourish_gingerbreadpancakes.htm
Yield: 9 pancakes

Serving Ideas : Serve with topped with whipped cream and maple syrup.

JEN'S NOTES: These were really good, perfect for Christmas time, but you have to be careful if you use melted butter - it gets solid when it hits the other wet ingredients because they are still cold. So maybe use cooking oil instead, or maybe wait to add the melted butter with the dry ingredients.