Dark Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Berry Compote

I am a morning person.  Perhaps my favorite time of day is right before the sun rises.  In those brief moments, it seems like the whole world is quiet, in a state of expectation, embracing all of the potential of the day that is being born.  Maybe that is why breakfast, with a piping hot mug of tea, is my favorite meal of the day.  I wake up excited to greet the final moments of night, and to devour the meal awaiting me!

Although all mornings are special in my book, I have a particularly special love for Saturday mornings.  Usually there is nothing on the calendar that requires you to rush out of the house before noon.  As a result, Bo and I frequently end up lounging in our pajamas until late in the morning (Yeah...that actually means afternoon, or sometimes all day.  Shhhh - don't tell anyone!), sipping on orange juice or hot tea, and devouring a special breakfast/brunch.

This past Saturday I whipped up something extra special...

...with chocolate...

...dark chocolate to be exact!

As you might remember, last Saturday was St. Patrick's Day.  Although our brunch didn't have anything green in it, per se, I decided to serve our piping hot pancakes on green plates.  So there!  You can't pinch me! :)

It is also worth noting that this is the first semi-baking recipe that I came up with on my own!  As I talked about in this post, I have a certain fear of recipe-creating when it comes to baking.  Baking is a science that I don't truly understand, so it was a HUGE success for me when this recipe actually worked!

A HUGE hit with the hubby, these pancakes hit the perfect balance between being sweet, but not too sweet.  Combined with the berry compote, there is hardly any need at all for maple syrup!

Dark Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Berry Compote
Serves 2

2/3 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C bread flour
1/2 C oats
3 stevia packets, divided
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 banana, mashed
1 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C dark chocolate chips
5 strawberries, diced
1/4 C berries (I used blackberries)


Directions:

• Preheat a large skillet over medium heat (about a six out of ten on the heat scale).
• In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flours, oats, two packets of stevia, baking powder, and cinnamon.
• Add the mashed banana, milk, and vanilla to the flour mixture.  Mix thoroughly.
• Dollop 1/4 C circles of batter onto the skillet.
• Top with chocolate chips (this ensures that the chips will not "bleed" into the batter).
• Cook until bubbles begin to appear and pop.  Flip, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, place the assorted fruit, and top with one stevia packet.
• Microwave the fruit for 1-2 minutes.
• Top each pancake stack with the berry compote and maple syrup!

Next time - an update on Lola (i.e. her first veterinary appointment, puppy school, and crate training)!

Question of the Day:

White vs. Milk vs. Dark - which type of chocolate do you prefer?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo