Week 13 - Egg Nog Pancakes!

I don't know about you, but I love Christmas, particularly relaxing with the ones you love and eating amazing food.  I could honestly do without all the stress of holiday shopping and finding the "perfect gift".  To me, a well prepared meal made with love is all you need.  To get in the Christmas spirit, I made Egg Nog Pancakes this weekend.  

I love Egg Nog, so I thought I'd substitute buttermilk for the stuff in this weekend's pancakes.  I actually made two batches to see which one would turn out better.  In the first batch I substituted all the buttermilk with EggNog.  Then thinking that this may be too heavy, I made a second batching using half buttermilk, half egg nog.  I added a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg so I didn't lose that nice little flavor boost by cutting the egg nog in half.

Full Egg Nog on left, half and half on right

The smell that filled my kitchen when the batter hit the hot griddle was amazing.  It reminded me of the smell of freshly made donuts or a yummy bakery.  I wish I had a candle that captured this smell!

Taste Test

So after having my husband do a blind taste, he chose the recipe with all egg nog and no buttermilk.  I agreed with his choice, I found the half and half recipe to be a bit bland.  Surprisingly the egg nog didn't make the pancake dense or heavy.  Just make sure you really whip the egg whites with the egg nog until they start to become frothy.  Also, room temperature eggs whip up better than really cold egg whites.  Below is the winning recipe.  Jó étvágyat!

  EGG NOG PANCAKES:

• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 cups Egg Nog
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 cups "Instant" Pancake Mix
• 1 stick butter, for greasing the pan

1. Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

Whisk together the egg whites and the Egg Nog in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.
2. Combine the Egg Nog mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.

3. Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface.
4. Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)
5. Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle.  When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.
6. Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.