Mocha Chocolate Chip Pancakes

This may sound odd... But I kinda have a strong love of making pancakes for my sweet boyfriend. I just think of him, and pancakes, and I have to make them for him! Maybe it's because pancakes are such a warm comforting food. And they always make me happy when I eat them, so I want them to make him happy too? I don't know! I don't really feel this way about pancakes and anyone else... Lol. I also know that I cannot make them for him, or myself, TOO often. They aren't the healthiest food. I must resist! But they're definitely worth the splurge on occasion :) Our last splurge consisted of these mocha chocolate chip pancakes. They are SO good! I was weirded out by the idea of using ground coffee instead of instant coffee, but it worked great! The chocolate chips add the perfect touch to break up the coffee flavor and make them rich. These are easy to make, satisfying, and definitely a treat. Enjoy!

Mocha Chip Pancakes with Espresso Syrup

For the Espresso Syrup:

1 cup corn syrup

2 oz. (a double shot) hot espresso

For the Mocha Chip Pancakes:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup malted milk powder

3 Tb. ground coffee (not instant)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 Tb. melted butter

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Heat a griddle, or non-stick skillet, to medium-high.

In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.

In a smaller bowl, whisk the milk, egg, and vanilla until frothy.

Add the milk mixture to the dry mix and whisk until smooth. Last whisk in the melted butter.

Allow the pancake batter to rest for 3-5 minutes before cooking, to thicken. It should be so thick that it barely pours.

Once the griddle is hot, stir in the chocolate chips.

Make one pancake as a test-batch to ensure your heat in accurate. Use a 1/4 cup scoop to ladle the batter onto the griddle. Spread into a circle. Cook for 1-3 minutes per side. Flip when small bubbles rise to the top of the batter. If the pancake turns dark too quickly, lower the heat.

Makes 8-10 pancakes.

Source: http://www.rachelcooks.com/2012/07/22/mocha-chip-pancakes-with-espresso-syrup/

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

I love granola bars. I eat them quite often, almost daily! They're chewy and satisfying, and can even cure my sweet tooth cravings! I've eaten almost every granola bar out there. Chewy brand bars are great, but they're so tiny. I love Clif bars, but they can get quite expensive... Sometimes, all you need are some simple homemade granola bars. These turned out awesome. I used whole wheat flour in place of the white flour, though in the future I will only use half, as it has quite a distinct flavor. I can only imagine how much more delicious these will be next time! My dad went crazy for these, ate three within ~10 minutes! I don't blame him. They are sweet, but most of that sweetness comes from the wonderful bursts of chocolate from within. This recipe is SO EASY. And it bakes within 18 minutes! These also hold their shape, unlike some granola bars that crumble as you eat them. I will definitely make these again and again and again :) Enjoy!

Homemade Granola Bars

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 chocolate chips

1/2 cup wheat germ (I used flax meal. Great source of fiber!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, raisins,  salt, and cinnamon in a bowl, making sure to beat the brown sugar lumps into submission. Combine egg, oil, honey, and vanilla in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix it all up, and dump it into a greased 9×13 inch pan. Using a greased spatula, or a wet spoon, spread it into an even layer.

 Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool pan on a wire rack, and when it’s all cooled off, you can cut it into whatever size bars you like. 

Source: http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/06/homemade-granola-bars/ 

Maple-Honey Granola Bark

YUM. Granola is one of those things I just never get tired of. When I have it in the house, I usually take a little handful to nibble on once or twice a day. Then there are the parfaits.. My favorite! Especially with frozen blueberries and fresh strawberries. I could eat them every day! But I usually rushing-ly make a green smoothie and slurp it up while getting ready for school and such. Granola is also pretty healthy. Rolled oats, honey, and this recipe even has ground flax seed! Bonus. The almonds in the recipe were put in with apprehension, but they were delicious. They slightly toasted in the oven and added a nice nutty touch. I also love how this is "bark." So much better than trying to snack on tiny pieces of granola that require a spoon for eating. One of my favorite parts of this recipe is that it uses a good amount of coconut oil, which is SO good for you. But it's also not that easy to incorporate a substantial amount into your daily diet. At least, not for me! Here is a link to some of the benefits of coconut oil. Enjoy!

NOM.

Maple-Honey Granola Bark

1/3 c. maple syrup

1/3 c. honey

1 Tb. vanilla

1/2 c. coconut oil, melted

5 c. rolled oats (not quick)

1 c. chopped almonds or walnuts

1/2 c. sunflower seeds

1/2 c. flax meal (or 1/4 c. flax + 1/4 c. wheat/oat bran)

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using salted sunflower seeds)

optional: 1-2 c. dried fruit mixed in after cooling (we usually add our fruit to each bowl when eating)

Heat oven to 325 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with silicone or parchment.

Mix the first four ingredients in a large bowl, then add the remaining ingredients (except for optional fruit) and mix everything really well.

Press the mixture evenly onto the prepared baking sheet, using the back of the spoon, a spatula, or your hand wetted with water.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, for about 35 minutes and do not stir. It will be golden brown all over and more on the edges.

Remove to a cooling rack for 1 hour before breaking the granola into chunks and adding the optional fruit.

Makes about 7 cups

Source: http://www.anoregoncottage.com

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blackberry Sauce

These sound pretty yummy, don't they? Well, the name doesn't lie! These are delicious. They're not like pancakes I myself usually eat. These have a very light and fluffy texture, much more so than buttermilk pancakes. They also don't feel heavy once you've eaten them which is a plus. The blackberry sauce is so wonderful. I could eat it on (almost) anything! 

I made this recipe mainly because I had just enough ricotta left over in the fridge for it... I also had frozen blackberries! Seemed like a perfect way to avoid having my precious ricotta spoil. This recipe is fairly simple. It takes a bit longer than plain ole pancakes but they're definitely worth it :). 

Makes a big amount of pancakes!

Yum :)

Blackberry Sauce:

12 oz. blackberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tbsp. cold water

Pancakes:

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup milk

3 eggs, separated

1/4 cup sugar

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

To make the sauce, combine the blackberries and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release their juices and the mixture is simmering. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add to the pan. Reduce heat to medium and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a low boil and thickens slightly. Remove from heat and keep warm if desired. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice until smooth. Sift together the flour, baking powder and 1/8 tsp. of the salt over the ricotta mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

In another large bowl, using a whisk, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the remaining 1/8 tsp. salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites.

Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Spray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top and the pancakes are golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a warmed plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Makes 12 to 14 pancakes.

 Source: www.annies-eats.com

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is absolutely amazing. I didn't expect it to turn out so good. Though I always keep my expectations rather low so I can be surprised, hehe. This cake has three components; fluffy tender pumpkin cake, crunchy spiced streusel, and a spiced glaze that permeates the whole pan of goodness. It truly is a treat. One that I will not make too often as to avoid getting any chubbier, but one that I'll definitely make again nonetheless. 

The original recipe makes a 9x13" coffee cake, but I halved the recipe as I usually do with new recipes. It's not that I didn't think it would be delicious, but you never know :). Plus, there's nothing wrong with having half of a yellow cake mix in your pantry for all those cake batter flavored recipes that have been popping up! I've made a few myself that I'll share soon. Enjoy!

I got this recipe from Jessica of How Sweet It Is.