Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Well, hello there 2013. 

We’ve only been here a day and already I feel like it’s going to be a good one.  I love a new year.  I love thinking about what might happen or what could be in store. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that in this year, we will become a family of three.  There’s always unknowns on January 1 of what is to come, but the anticipation of meeting this little bambino is more than I could have imagined.

In the meantime, I’m trying to stop time.  As much as the future excites me,  I know these quiet moments when it is just the two of us will be fond memories and we can never go back.   So my immediate new year’s resolution is to slow down a bit and take it all in. 

I want to take more naps.  See a few movies.  Take long baths.   Go out to dinner while there is no thought of having to get a baby sitter.  Take a few spontaneous trips.  Sleep late on the weekends and make more pancakes.

These oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes are just what Saturday mornings called for.  I stumbled upon this recipe on a rainy Saturday morning when pancakes sounded like a good idea.  I knew I wanted to make some flapjacks, but I definitely knew I did not want to go to the grocery store to fulfill this craving.  Joy the Baker is the queen of pancakes and I went searching for a recipe that could be made with what was available in my close-to-bare pantry. 

Crossing my fingers that a few substitutions would work, I ended up with these unbelievably hearty and perfect oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes.  My one beef with pancakes is that I often do not feel full from eating a big plate of a close cousin to cake.  The oatmeal in this recipe was a hearty and filling addition that kept me full and is a nice healthy kick at the same time. 

I hope you will join me in slowing this year down and enjoy yourself a nice stack of pancakes. 

From my little kitchen to yours… Enjoy.

A few picture notes related to my personal preferences...

Equal distribution of chocolate chips is a very important feature when it comes to my chocolate chip pancakes.  I like to start the baking process and then evenly place a few chips before flipping.  If you do not find yourself to be quite so nuts, you could stir a whole bunch into the batter.  However, you might find how truly satisfying it is to have complete control over chip placement from pancake to pancake.  Ah, sometimes it's the little things. 

The first picture where those pancakes are getting a healthy drenching of syrup is definitely not my stack.  It's Mr. Hungry's stack.  He would probably prefer if I served these pancakes in a bowl so they could be floating in syrup.  Not me.  My stack is what you see here below.  I believe pancakes (especially ones already studded with chocolate chips) need nothing more than a good slab of butter and a cup of coffee.  But I guess that's what so great about pancakes.  No need to agree on the additional toppings...just don't get near mine with your syrupy sticky mits.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Makes about 6 5-inch pancakes... perfect for two hungry people.

Ingredients
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
heaping 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (or more if you are really chocolatey)
oil or cooking spray (for cooking)

Step by Step
In a large bowl beat egg. Add buttermilk, butter, honey and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Let batter set for a few minutes.

Heat griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, when the drops start to dance its hot enough.

Pour 3 tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. Drop as many chocolate chips as you desire into the batter as it cooks.  Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop and the edges set. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

//Adapted from Joy the Baker's Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes