Mayan Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ever since I tasted Marcus Samuelsson's recipe for Chocolate Cinnamon bread from his cookbook Discovery of a Continent, I have been enamored with the combination of chocolate and cinnamon.   The ancient Mayans, too, were on to something good when they combined the two to make a spicy but not too sweet hot chocolate drink with cinnamon.  Apparently this is an ancient elixir that thrilled the palate of people long since past, not just me.  I love both flavors separately, but together they are heaven.  So from this tried and true marriage of flavors emerged my idea of a "Mayan Chocolate Chip" Pancake recipe.


I find plain pancakes a little, well, boring.  As cooks we do all sorts of things with cookies, breads and muffins.  But pancakes (yes, I admit, a good pancake with maple syrup and butter is pretty darn good, just very...expected) we tend to leave alone, unless we add a few blueberries or chocolate chips to the batter.  But why not get creative with them and see what we can do? With a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder and a tsp of cinnamon, as well as a hefty scoop of chocolate chips, I found a thrilling new way to make pancakes.  My daughter, almost two, agrees (no syrup necessary)!  See her mouth well smothered in chocolate?  That's from the still gooey warm chocolate chips that just barely melted.  Heaven!

To make these, I used my trustworthy old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook recipe that makes a very fluffy, tender pancake.  Here is the recipe for these ooey-gooey breakfast gems:

Mayan Chocolate Chip Pancakes
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tbs oil

Directions
In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, chocolate chips, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl use a fork to combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened.  

For standard-size pancakes, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet, spreading batter if necessary. Cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm. 

These would be delicious with whipped cream (add cinnamon, vanilla, or cocoa powder to the whipped cream if you like), butter, or a touch of chocolate syrup.  Alternately you could sprinkle them with powdered sugar and cinnamon.  But they are perfectly good plain, too!