Chocolate Chip Pancakes

The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Sunday, July 3rd 2016 edition. By: Blaise Doubman 

Light and Fluffy Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Blaise Doubman

I think I have confessed my love of all things pancake here once before, when discussing my recipe for the classic “Dutch Baby”. My Great Grandma Flora and I would, rain or shine, everyday, walk to my Grandma Barbra’s for her pancakes and syrup. I have some of my fondest memories of my Great Grandma Flora from that time, and there’s never a time where I can bite into a pancake without thinking of her and those times we shared together. Over the years I have branched out and experimented with other different types of pancakes, using different flavor combinations, cooking and baking techniques, sizes and even colors (food dye) and I have to say some of my most enjoyable are those that were super sweet.

I always tell people I have “sweet teeth”, instead of a “sweet tooth”, and this recipe may just prove that once and for all. I love the simple taste of a light and fluffy buttermilk pancake. So much so, that sometimes I won’t even interrupt the taste of the pancake with butter or syrup; I’ll just eat the pancake as is, nothing else. For this recipe I wanted a chocolate chip version of that, which can be difficult because chocolate chips aren’t the most delicate. I did discover, however, that the addition of the ground cinnamon really brought things together as a whole. The use of regular whole milk made a difference too, apposed to the use of buttermilk. Also, when making the batter, gently stirring the ingredients, instead of beating them, will make a big difference between a light and fluffy pancake, and one that isn’t. These are a personal favorite.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I think the addition of ground cinnamon in these pancakes really makes a difference in the overall finished flavors. If you would prefer not to use cinnamon, feel free to leave It out. This recipe is very versatile as well. You can add chopped walnuts, or other kinds of nuts to the batter and top with sliced bananas for a tropical pancake. You can also make these, and place a mixture of cream cheese, pure vanilla extract and powdered sugar between each layer for a “stacked” presentation. The semi-sweet chocolate chips may also be replaced with milk or dark chocolate, depending on your personal preference. 

3 cups white all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons white granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons baking powder
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 ¼ cups white whole milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Start by mixing the white all-purpose four, white granulated sugar, salt, ground cinnamon and baking powder together in a large bowl.

Add in the large eggs, vegetable oil and white whole milk. Gently stir to combine, being careful not to over mix. You just want to stir enough to incorporate the dry ingredients. If there are little traces of flour in the batter, that is perfectly acceptable.

Finally, gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Place the batter aside, in the refrigerator, for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to make your pancakes, preheat a large skillet (or griddle) over medium/high heat and coat well with non-stick cooking spray.

Scoop the batter into the skillet, using a ¼ cup dry measuring cup. Depending on the size of your skillet, you will need to work in batches. For each batch of pancakes you remove from the skillet, or griddle, you will need to wipe it fairly clean, and spray more non-stick cooking spray.

When you see little bubbles start rising to the tops of the pancakes, you’ll know it’s time to flip them over. Flip them using a large spatula, and continuing cooking another couple of minutes.

Once cooked, remove from skillet, or griddle, and place on plate and cover with foil to keep them warm. When ready to serve, top with whipped cream, butter, syrup or fresh fruit.

This batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two days. The cooked pancakes will keep, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to three days. To warm up leftover pancakes, place in a 220 degree oven for about 7 minutes. No longer or the pancakes will dry out.