Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Pancakes

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Pancakes 

My inspiration for this recipe came from a recent brunch with two of my best friends from high school, Lakelyn and Tori, and their boyfriends, Christian and Thomas. Since I celebrate Christmas with movies and Chinese food, I’m always interested to hear about what Christmas is like for those who celebrate more…traditionally. My friends discussed how Christmas morning was the only day of the year that they were morning people, and how when they were younger they would often wake up really early on Christmas morning, only to have to wait for everyone else to wake up before opening presents. Thomas even mentioned one Christmas when he woke up at 2 AM and stayed up until 7AM, when his family opened presents, playing his Gameboy by the Christmas tree, anxiously waiting to open presents. 

Being a firm believer in food as a solution to (almost) all problems, I began to think about a Christmas breakfast treat to make the morning extra special, and to entertain those who wake up a little earlier than everyone else. 

What you need: 

· 2 eggs 

· 2 tbsp melted butter 

· 1 cup all-purpose flour 

· 3/4 cup milk 

· ¼ cup brown sugar 

· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

· 1/2 tsp vanilla 

· 3 tbsp molasses 

· 2 packets hot chocolate mix 

· 1 tablespoon baking powder 

· 1 tsp ginger 

· ½ tsp cinnamon 

· ¼ tsp nutmeg 

· 1/2 teaspoon salt 

Optional: 3 cup melted marshmallows 

Yield: 3-4 servings (depends how hungry you are!)

What to do: 

1. Mix the ingredients in the order listed (except for the marshmallows) until well combined. 

2. If possible, let the batter sit overnight in the refrigerator. I recommend this with this recipe and all pancake recipes, but it’ll still work even if you don’t have the time or discipline to wait. I rarely have either. 

3. Fry the batter in a pan on low-medium heat, using butter. 

4. If desired, top with melted marshmallows. 

5. Enjoy! 

Have a merry Christmas and when in doubt, bake! 

<3 Dena