Gingerbread Pancakes

My first encounter with these little darlings was at Magnolia Cafe in Austin, TX. Texas Monthly published the recipe a few years ago and I discovered that one of the secret ingredients was coffee. So I added a little espresso powder to my batter. It was fantastic!

Here's the recipe:

3/4 cup Buckwheat Pancake Flour
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Espresso Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 tbls Honey
1 Egg
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk

Combine all and fry up on the griddle. If you wanted to cook them in just a little bacon fat (I used pancetta because it was in the fridge), the added flavor is a crowd pleaser. Just be sure to cut it with a little unflavored oil like safflower or vegetable.

They were very pleased to be complemented by some strawberries tossed with fresh mint and grated fresh ginger, a squeeze of lemon and just a little maple syrup.

Serve all with butter, maple syrup and the bacon, of course.