Recipe: Double Chocolate Pancakes

by Stephanie Zonis

Double Chocolate Pancakes

14 to 16 pancakes, each about 3 inches in diameter
4 to 6 servings

Want to make Mom breakfast or dessert for Mother's Day? If she likes chocolate, consider these pancakes. They're wonderful served with butter, or dress them up by adding slightly softened, good-quality vanilla ice cream; warmed hot fudge topping; and thinly sliced fresh strawberries. These would be fun for kids, too.

If you don't have a nonstick griddle, you'll have to grease your griddle with a small amount of butter before cooking each batch of pancakes. Keep cooked pancakes warm on a heatproof plate in a 200 degree F oven while you're waiting for the rest to come off the griddle. Watch the heat under your griddle carefully with these pancakes; if it's too high, they can burn.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. nonalkalized (not Dutch process)
unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 egg, graded "large"

Into small bowl, sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add chocolate chips. With spoon, blend well.

In small saucepan over low heat, combine milk and butter bits. Stir often just until butter is melted; milk should be warm but must not be hot. Remove from heat. With fork, beat egg to combine; gradually beat in milk-butter mixture. All at once, add liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.

Heat griddle (preferably nonstick) over medium heat until a few drops of water scattered on it move around rapidly before evaporating. Drop pancake batter onto heated griddle by rounded tablespoons (not measuring tablespoons), spreading batter slightly as you do so. Leave room between pancakes, as they will expand somewhat during cooking. Cook only two pancakes in first batch. These two will give you some indication of timing and whether your heat is too high or too low.

Watch pancakes carefully. As they cook, they will puff up and become full of bubbles. When done, edges will appear set, and bubbles that break on surface will no longer fill in with batter. This should take anywhere from 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 minutes on the first side. Flip pancakes over; cook until lightly browned on second side, about 45 seconds to 1-1/2 minutes. Do not burn. Keep pancakes that are done on heatproof plate in preheated 200 degree F. oven until all have been cooked.

Serve pancakes hot, with butter or slightly softened vanilla ice cream/warmed hot fudge topping/sliced fresh strawberries.

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