Gingerbread Pancakes

Christmas Caramel Murder

* 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (if you don't have it, just add a little more cinnamon)
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is best, of course)
* 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

### Directions

* In a small bowl, whisk a large egg with the vanilla extract.
* Add the quarter-cup of molasses and whisk that in.
* Add the cup and a half of water and whisk that in.
	+ **Hannah's 1st Note:** *You'll be adding the spices next, but Michelle says that's easier if you mix them together first. She uses a disposable paper bowl. Then you can add the spice mixture to your egg mixture all at once.*
* Combine the ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Stir them around until they're mixed.
* Add the spice mixture to your egg mixture and whisk everything together until they're thoroughly combined.
	+ **Hannah's 2nd Note:** *Michelle says to remind you to rinse off your whisk and put it in the sink. If you let the egg dry on the whisk, it's really difficult to get clean.*
* Get out your favorite stirring spoon. You'll be using it from here on out.
* In a larger mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, powder, and salt. Mix them until they're well incorporated.
* Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. The batter may be a little lumpy. That's okay. You'll stir it again before you fry it.
	+ **Hannah's 3rd Note:** *If you've made pancakes from scratch before, you know that they're tastier if you "season" them by covering the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerating the batter overnight. This is why I always mix my batter the night before.*
* When you're ready to fry your pancakes, prepare your griddle or your frying pan by oiling it before you heat it, or using a mixture with equal parts of oil and butter.
* Set your heat at MEDIUM-HIGH. You can test your frying surface to see when it's ready by putting a few drops of water on the surface. If the droplets of water skitter around and then evaporate, your pain is the right temperature to fry pancakes.
* If you're using a griddle, you may want to pour on your pancakes rather than use a spoon. Simply transfer the batter to a pitcher and use that to pour. If you'd prefer to dip a large spoon or a small cup into the bowl and transfer the batter to the griddle or the frying pan that way, that's fine, too. (*Michelle used by quarter-cup plastic measure that has a little spout on the side. I measured this once, and when she empties the cup of batter in the frying pan, approximately 3 Tablespoons come out of the measuring cup.*)
* Fry your pancakes until they're puffed and they look a bit dry around the edges. If you look closely, little bubbles will form at the edges. If you're not sure they're done, lift one edge with a spatula and take a peek. It will be golden brown on the bottom when it's ready to flip.
* Turn your pancakes and wait for the other side to fry. Again, you can test your pancake by lift it slightly with a spatula and peeking to see if it's golden brown.
* If you don't have people sitting at your table waiting to eat breakfast, you can fry all your pancakes now and keep them warm until everyone comes to the table by separating them with layers of foil or paper towels, placing them in a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan, covering the pan loosely with another piece of foil, and keeping them in a warm oven set at the lowest temperature.
* Serve with plenty of soft butter and your choice of honey, dark Karo syrup, or molasses. These Gingerbread Pancakes are also good buttered, spread with jam, and topped with a dollop of sour cream.

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.