Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Pancakes

Posted By on February 7, 2012

First and foremost, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who entered my giveaway. It was so nice to see so many of you come out of the woodwork to respond.  I had no idea so many of you had made and loved my recipes.  It made my heart overflow again with love. I greatly appreciate your suggestions on which desserts to scale down next.  There was an overwhelming majority for coconut cream pie, angel food cake, pecan pie, and tiramisu.  I will get right to work on all of your requests!  I have to confess that I’ve tried making angel food cake many times, and each time, my cupcakes shrink once they come out of the oven.  Not pretty.  In the meantime, I’ve been living on Jessica’s version.

I also want to say that many of you requested recipes that I already have on the site.  So, please please please, check out my recipe index and your wish will be granted!  Even for something you might not normally consider a dessert: corn muffins, biscuits, or banana bread, I already scaled those down for y’all.  Enjoy!

And now, without further ado, I would like to announce the winner!


#39 is Tara W. Congratulations, Tara!  I sent you an email.  Respond quickly so I can get this to you before Valentine’s Day!

Ok, if you didn’t win, I think I have something to make you feel better.  These chocolate pancakes complete with chocolate chips, strawberry sauce, and extra chocolate sauce will put a smile on anyone’s face.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Pancakes
4.7 from 3 reviews
Print
 
Makes 4 5″ pancakes
Ingredients
  • For the strawberry sauce:
  • 6 ounces strawberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • chocolate syrup for drizzling (optional)
  • For the pancakes:
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted plus extra for greasing pan
  • a handful chocolate chips (I used 24)
Instructions
  1. Melt a small pat of butter on a griddle or non-stick skillet over low heat.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries and maple syrup over low heat. Cook for 8-9 minutes, or until the strawberries break down and a thick syrup forms.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, cocoa powder, and brown or sugar. In another small bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla, egg yolk, and melted butter.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine lightly, but be careful not to overmix.
  5. Once the griddle or skillet is hot, use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop out batter to make 4 pancakes. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over all 4 pancakes. As soon as bubbles appear, flip the pancakes and continue cooking until browned and done. Serve with the strawberry sauce and chocolate syrup.
 
Notes

*Feel free to use 1/2 cup all-purpose flour instead of a blend of regular and whole wheat pastry flour.

 

Category: Breakfast | 32 Comments »
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Lemon Poppy Seed Granola

Posted By on February 3, 2012

First, don’t forget to enter my small bakeware giveaway.  You have until February 7th at noon!

I really enjoy making granola.  I adore the whole process of gathering up all the mason jars that contain the oats, nuts and seeds.  I love the feel of the dry ingredients between my fingers and the aroma of the wet ingredients melting and mingling on the stove.

I challenge myself to spread the final product as evenly as possible on the baking sheet before sliding it into the oven.  I pace back and forth at the oven, anxiously awaiting a chance to stir.

But then, the enjoyment comes to an abrupt stop.  The process of moving the final product from a flat sheet pan to a round mason jar for storage makes me curse like a sailor.  I have to sweep the floor after every time I make granola.  I’ve tried using a Silpat, a funnel, a large plastic bag, you name it.  Ultimately, I can be found kneeling on the floor, scooping up bits of perfectly browned granola that I wish was going into my breakfast bowl, not the trash.  This granola especially upsets me when it spills because the pucker-y lemon flavor and crunch from the sunflower and poppy seeds should not escape your mouth!

I layered this granola with a lemon-flavored yogurt to amp up the citrus-y punch even more.  I wouldn’t mind if I received this on a tray each morning.

Other recipes in the 2012 Valentine’s Day Breakfast in Bed series so far:
Cherry Vanilla Baked Oatmeal
Cheddar Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches
Pina Colada Smoothie
Creme Brulee French Toast

To browse all of my small breakfast recipes, click here.

Lemon Poppy Seed Granola
5.0 from 3 reviews
Print
Makes about 2 cups of granola
Ingredients
  • 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds or sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a small half-sheet pan.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, lemon zest, poppy seeds, salt and almonds or sunflower seeds.
  3. Melt in the microwave (or on the stove) the butter, honey, lemon juice and almond extract. Once thoroughly melted, add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  4. Spread it evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes. Stir well (the edges of the pan will brown faster). Bake for another 9-10 minutes until golden brown.
  5. Serve with lemon yogurt in a parfait glass or plain.

 

Category: Breakfast | 28 Comments »
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Small Bakeware Giveaway!

Posted By on February 2, 2012

Well, hello there.  Aren’t you looking nice today?  Oh, stop, no need to flatter me back.  I’m just doing a little giveaway for y’all because the love in my heart is overflowing.  I never knew this website would bring such happiness into my life.  The process of creating recipes and photos each week is challenging but rewarding, and the people I have met along the way have enriched my life in ways I can not express with words.  I’m speechless and my joy bucket is full.

I put together a giveaway basket to help you bake desserts for two.  Too often I get emails about pan substitutions because you don’t have a 6″ pan or a small pie pan in your kitchen.  I wish I could reply to each email with a package of all the small pans you need.  Truth be told, if you put your address in an email to me, I would most likely send you whatever pan you were lacking.  It would make me so happy to do so.  But why not enter this here giveaway to win tiny pans and tiny tools perfect for dessert for two?!

The gift basket contains:  1 6″ cake pan (in the adorable shape of a heart), 1 6″ ceramic pie plate, one miniature loaf pan (perfect for my banana bread, cranberry bread, and gingerbread), 2 red ramekins, and a tiny microplane grater for grating small amounts of nutmeg or chocolate.

Also, I promise to have it delivered to you before Valentine’s Day so you can bake miniature desserts for your Valentine.

To enter:  Leave a comment with your favorite dessert that you would like me to scale down to serve two.  (psst! Check my recipe index, I might have already covered it.) You must include an email address in the field provided so I can contact you if you win.  Don’t worry, your email address will be kept private.

For additional entries to win, leave a separate comment for each of these actions:

1. Like my fan page on Facebook.  And thanks so much for doing so.

2. Follow me on Twitter @DessertForTwo and tweet about this giveaway.  Also, please leave me a comment with your twitter name so I can follow you back. I love new friends!

3. If you’re on StumbleUpon or Pinterest, go ahead and stumble or pin.

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Good luck, y’all! The giveaway closes Tuesday, February 7th at noon.

Category: Uncategorized | 494 Comments »
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