Maple Ginger Pancakes

Friday night I wasn't feeling so good. Now, I see it was a precursor to what would be an absolutely horrid weekend (non-work related ER trip, broken car, lady burdens, etc). The only beacons of light were these pancakes and wedding dress shopping with my best bud. Not necessarily in that order, but just, you know. Well anyways, on Saturday morning I woke up, rolled over and what is the first thing I see? The jar of crystallized ginger slices that made their way to bed with me because my tummy was feeling sad. "Yum, ginger!" 

I knew two things during that moment of ignorant bliss with regards of what was to come. We should have pancakes for breakfast and these ginger slices definitely needed to be incorporated. 

These. Pancakes. Are. So. Good. I might make them for dinner tonight. Seriously. Except, I'm out of flour and I have no car...so...maybe not.

Some of my prior pancake-scapades were pretty lackluster (you didn't get to see them), but these pancakes are perfect. They are so light and fluffy and have the absolute perfect texture. Sweetened with maple syrup and speckled with chewy bits of candied ginger, these pancakes will be the highlight of your weekend! My new favorite breakfast! 

Maple Ginger Pancakes

Inspired by my freakish obsession with ginger

Serves 2 (7 medium pancakes)

• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. crystallized ginger slices, minced (plus a little extra for garnish)

In a medium bowl whisk together the first five ingredients. 

Make a little hole within the flour mixture and add in the syrup and the water. Stir gently a few times, then add in the chopped ginger and stir until just combined. There might be sprays of flour and that's okay. Do not overmix. 

Over low, heat a large frying pan. Coat with a nonstick cooking spray. Once the pan is heated, pour in 1/4 cup of the batter. Allow to cook until it starts to form bubbles, then coat the top of the pancake with the nonstick cooking spray and flip. Allow to cook until browned and cooked through.

Repeat with the remainder of the batter. This will make about seven medium pancakes. 

Serve warm and topped with a slathering of vegan butter, a splash of maple syrup and garnished with chopped candied ginger. 

And here is bob just taking in the morning...before the bummer-storm.

Let he without sin cast the first stone, or something like that. Britney Spears – Perfume Maybe I'll have a meltdown, too. BRecipe Card

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Healthy Caramel Oat Bran Muffins

Happy Halloween everyone! Today I am not Katie, but Deb, from Napoleon Dynamite. I have a super scary, super spooky, super Halloweenie recipe for you today...Caramel Oat Bran Muffins! Muah-ha-ha-ha-haaa. Okay, so they aren't scary, spooky, or particularly Halloweenie. I didn't even make like a white icing to render mummies on the top or anything. I know, I know. I am the worst. I just never get into the whole Holiday food decorating thing. I wish I could, but I just can't. If you want cutesy recipes (and who doesn't?) there are tons, upon tons of recipes on the world wide web that can satisfy. I'm like the food Scrooge of Halloween. I realize that makes no sense.

Anyways, I made these Caramelesc Oat Bran Muffins for a little family Halloween get together tonight. Perhaps they are a bit of a treat and a trick, though. A treat because they are obviously delicious. I am a huge fan of oat bran muffins. Quaker has the best recipe, hands down. And they are a bit of a trick because there's actually no caramel in them. Hah HAH! Yes. It's true. I'm evil...or wonderful?

So here's the story. I really wanted to put pumpkin chips in these. You know...like the little pumpkin flavored chocolate chip things? Yea, the store didn't have them. Did I imagine that these were a thing? I suppose it's possible. Anyway, without any pumpkin chips available, I decided I could put little caramel bits in them! Perfect right? Um...no. There are no vegan caramels at the Wasilla Fred Meyer. I could possibly have made some, but I didn't really have the time.

Saddened, I stood in the candy aisle all distressed and morose. Then, in my wallowing, I thought about a caramel dip I made last year with dates and how much everyone loved it. Realizing that dates pretty much equal caramel, I had my answer! I guess a more appropriate and accurate name for these muffins would be Date Studded Oat Bran Muffins, but that sound much too boring. Besides it's Halloween, so here's your trick and your treat! 

These dense, wholesome oat bran muffins are infused with caramelly sweetness and studded with soft and chewy "caramel" bits...aka...dates.

Healthy Caramel Oat Bran Muffins

Inspired by Quaker Oats (okay yes, I used the recipe from the photo of the back of the box on Amazon)

Makes 12 muffins

• 2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 2 cups oat bran hot cereal, uncooked
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla butter & nut extract (or caramel extract)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil (or coconut or canola)
• 1/2 cup dates, de-pitted and chopped (about 5)

Preheat oven to 425 F and spray a regular muffin pan with a non-stick cooking spray. 

Whisk together the flax and water in a small bowl and place in the fridge until ready to use. 

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Whisk the wet ingredients together, including the flax eggs but not the dates, in a medium bowl.

Now, gently stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. Fold in the chopped dates. 

Place about 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup and bake at 425 F for 15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. 

Remove from pan with the edge of a knife and set on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar if you like. 

Also, West Elm has free shipping today and...well, I did a bad, bad thing. This was me when I told Todd what I did. Heh heh heh. Source: mrwgifs.com

Listening to Gerygone & Twig – Kind of Leaving(That Is Not) (They are from my hometown!)

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Hazelnut Maple and Poppy Seed Spiced Corn Cakes

The weekend calls for regale and fanciery. Yes, I know the latter is not a real word. But it's real to me, and it means that on either Saturday or Sunday morning, Todd and I will have an extravagant and downright snobby breakfast. It will be fit for someone who does not reside in a tiny thimble of a house in the wilds of Alaska, and who does not live with a giant, shedding, beast of dog that steals your spot in bed in the dark of the night. This imaginary person also probably isn't vegan. This imaginary person is obviously not us...  These Hazelnut Maple and Poppy Seed Spiced Corn Cakes definitely qualified as one of these breakfasts. These are super hearty and delightfully filling. Todd and I could eat only eat half of our portions...but that may be because we split the entire batch of nine pancakes. What? Gluttony goes hand in hand with regale...you know it does. 

Sweetened with maple syrup and Hazelnut Kahlua, these dense corn cakes lend a good, crunchy, and wholesome bite from the polenta, hazelnuts, and poppy seeds. Spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg for seasonal flare!

Hazelnut Maple and Poppy Seed Spiced Corn Cakes

Inspired by The Sweet Life

Makes 9 medium pancakes

• --Wet--
• 1 cup soy milk (I used unsweetened, plain)
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp. Hazelnut Kahlua 
• --Dry--
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup  polenta (or cornmeal for a finer consistency)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• dash of freshly ground nutmeg
• --Add-Ins--
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
• 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

In a large bowl, whisk together the soy milk and the vinegar and allow to rest for about 5 minutes or until it's curdled slightly. 

Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. 

Now, whisk the maple syrup and Kahlua into the soymilk mixture.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat and spray with a non-stick cooking spray.

Slowly and gently add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine. Do not overmix! A few lumps of flour are okay. Gently stir in the hazelnuts and poppy seeds.

Once the pan is hot, drop a 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and allow to cook until bubbles begin to form throughout the pancake. Spray the top of the pancake with cooking spray and flip. Cook about 1 minute then remove and repeat with remaining batter. 

Top with a pat of vegan butter and additional maple syrup! 

Now go make these, and lavish in your opulent breakfast!

Chair-dancing to, The Oh Hello's – Eat You Alive

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