Gingerbread Pancakes for Christmas Morning Breakfast

Originally published in the Lebanon Reporter on December 22, 2005

My children are early risers. On a normal day, a 6:00 am wake up is sleeping in. 5:30 am seems to be about where their body-clock alarms are set and I have yet to find the snooze button on either of our boys. I’m betting that on Christmas morning our four year old will be up and ready to open presents at about 3:00 am. We’ll think of some creative way to get him back in bed - “Santa hasn’t been here yet because we’re his very last stop.”

I can easily recall my childhood days when I was the first to wake up on Christmas morning. Fast forward to my teen years, when I developed a habit of sleeping late, not even Christmas presents were enough an incentive for me to shrug off adolescent slumber. What usually got me out of bed during my teen years was the aroma of breakfast. There is nothing quiet like being lulled awake by the aroma of sizzling bacon and griddling pancakes wafting their way from the kitchen to your bedroom.

Growing up, Christmas day was always a big-breakfast morning. When we were little, breakfast would wait until after the presents were opened. With a houseful of teens, it was the only thing that could rouse us. Presents came afterward. Regardless of whether it was pre- or post-dawn, it was BIG. It was breakfast from a bygone era, the kind of everyday breakfast I imagine being had before a hard day’s work on the farm or in the factory. These are the breakfasts of bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, hash browns, biscuits, pancakes, and sweet rolls. A far cry from the oatmeal, low fat yogurt, reduced acid orange juice, decaf coffee, or on-the-go meal replacement bar breakfasts many of us are used to today.

High fiber, low fat, low carb, low taste breakfasts are a necessary evil in the world we’ve created in which most of us work jobs where we expend minimal energy. I urge you to make Christmas morning the exception. This Christmas morning give your family the gift of a big breakfast.

Pancakes are always a big hit at our house and these Gingerbread Pancakes are especially popular. The addition of the traditional gingerbread spices make them just right for the Christmas morning breakfast table. Serve these with softened butter and plenty of maple syrup. If you make these pancakes, please consider buying real maple syrup. They are good with artificially flavored syrup but they are great with real syrup. I know it’s expensive, but its Christmas, what isn’t expensive? 

Gingerbread Pancakes   

   

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose (white flour)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium size bowl, mix all dry ingredients together (flour through nutmeg). In another bowl mix all the wet ingredients (egg through vanilla). Add the liquid to the dry mix and mix well. This makes a pretty thick batter which result in a thicker pancake. If you prefer thinner pancakes, add a little more milk. If you typically use a baking mix, like Bisquick, to make pancakes, you can just add the vanilla and spices and they will turn out great.

Heat griddle or pan to medium (non-stick cooking services are best and even those work better when brushed with a little vegetable oil. Use about a 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. You know pancakes are ready to turn when bubbles form on top. This recipe will make 8 pancakes.