Whole Wheat Chocolate Pancakes

Makes 12-16 full-sized pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/4 cups buttermilk (or make your own...1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon or vinegar or lemon juice - let it sit for 5 mins.  Make what you need).
• 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 Tablespoons brewed coffee
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, combine beaten eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, coffee and vanilla.

Add wet mixture to the dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula until just combined. Allow the mixture to set for a few minutes to thicken.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt a teaspoon of butter in the pan. Ladle 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and cook pancakes until small bubbles begin to form on the surface. Flip and cook one to two minutes more. Transfer to a serving plate and repeat for the remaining batter.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

To Freeze:

Lay cooled pancakes on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze for one to two hours. Remove from pan and stack in a ziptop bag. Seal tightly and freeze for up to a month.

To serve: Remove from freezer and warm in the microwave on high for one to two minutes, warm on a cookie sheet in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or heat in a toaster oven.

Submitted by:  Caroline G.
Recipe adapted from February/March 2011 issue of Kiwi magazine.