Chocolate and cherries are a fairly traditional combination. Alcohol and breakfast…not as traditional (except for mimosas, perhaps). But hey, since I’ve already gone there once with my amaretto poppy seed pancakes, why not another boozy pancake recipe? The flavor of the brandy comes through much more prominently than the amaretto, so I definitely wouldn’t serve this to any kiddies—these pancakes are fantastic in their own right, though, so you could either serve them to kids with maple syrup instead or still use the cherries and their syrup but skip the brandy. This recipe uses both flour and cornmeal—a great twist on the usual chocolate chip pancake recipe, which can sometimes be overwhelmingly sweet. I was a little unsure at first about how the chocolate and cornmeal would go together, but they actually complement each other surprisingly well!
- 10 ounces jarred cherries (see note)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1 egg
- 1 scant cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2-2/3 cup chocolate chips
- Strain syrup from cherries into a medium saucepan. Stir in sugar and cook over medium heat until liquid volume has been reduced by half.
- Add cherries and brandy. Let cool, then refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.
- Put one tablespoon of lemon juice in a one-cup measuring cup and fill remainder with milk. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Using a whisk, beat egg in medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips) in order, whisking in between each ingredient.
- Spray a griddle or nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat on medium heat for several minutes, or until water dropped onto surface sizzles.
- Scoop pancake batter onto griddle, making pancakes approximately 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle chocolate chips over each pancake. When bubbles appear throughout each pancake, flip onto other side and cook.
- Serve, and top with brandied cherries.
- The cherries need to sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving, so plan ahead! Please note that this time is NOT included in the total time listed.
- I use Trader Joe's Morello cherries in light syrup.
[…] just perfect for a cherry confection – I just love pairing cherries and cornmeal, like in these cornmeal chocolate chip pancakes – since the cornmeal adds a hint of savoriness, keeping the end product from being cloyingly […]