gingerbread pancakes

Back in 2013 I took a trip to NZ to see my family. I had a glorious fortnight catching up with loved ones, driving to the top of the north island to see my favourite pottery studios, taking my then 5 & 3yo children to the black sand beaches of my childhood. 11 years later, my son's sole memory of the holiday was going to the cinema in Auckland to see Despicable Me. Typical. Except I'm not much better, because the memory I keep returning to is a glorious breakfast I had in Ponsonby - it was a plate of gingerbread spiced pancakes, stacked high and dripping with butter and syrup. 

When I returned home I set about creating my own version and it's since become a family favourite.

I like to serve these pancakes with whipped honey cinnamon butter. I've added the simple instructions on how to make it after the pancake recipe - try it and I swear you'll wonder why you ever bothered eating pancakes without whipped butter!

​Prep time: 15 mins, Cook time: 15 mins
Makes 8-10 large pancakes or 12-16 pikelet sized pancakes

Ingredients:
3 cups self raising flour*
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg 
1 1/2 cups milk*
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract 
45g butter, melted & cooled slightly

*For a Gluten Free Version substitute the flour and milk for the following:
3 cups plain gluten free flour 
1 tbsp baking powder
2 cups of milk

Method:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.

In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, melted butter & vanilla extract until well combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. (A few small lumps are fine.) 

For Gluten Free version: Use a spatula to mix all ingredients thoroughly (Gluten-free flours provide less structure than wheat flour, so you need to mix the batter more robustly).

Heat a lightly greased crepe pan or nonstick frypan over med-low heat. Drop the pancake batter into the pan by the quarter cup, making sure to leave plenty of room in between for the batter to expand.

Cook until the batter bubbles on the surface and browns on the bottom, a minute or two, then carefully flip. Cook for another 30-60 secs or until completely cooked through and the pancakes are deep golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is used. Serve pancakes as you make them or keep them warm as you cook them by setting them on a baking tray and covering them with a slightly dampened tea towel before putting them in a 100°c oven.

​Freeze leftovers with a little baking paper between each one. They'll keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat from frozen, pop them in the toaster, or give them a brief zap in the microwave.

Pimp My Recipe
Add the zest and juice of 1 orange to the pancake batter (use less milk to compensate for the extra liquid being added).

To make these pancakes even more Christmassy, serve with brandy butter.

Whipped Honey Cinnamon Butter: 
You'll need an electric beater for this.

Place ½ cup softened butter and 2 tbsp milk in a mixing bowl and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp honey and ½ tsp cinnamon before beating on high for another  3 minutes.

Serve on pancakes, fresh croissants or French toast. Best used when it's freshly made so it maintains its fluffy texture.