“WE HAD BREAKFAST a few blocks down at the Snow City Cafe. A white chocolate and vanilla
latte, pumpkin pancakes and side orders of smoked salmon and farmers sausage. Heaven.

On the way to the cafe and on the way back, Clay tried to bring up the subject of what else was
bothering me. Again, I almost answered. Again, I chickened out. A letter from a former foster parent had
nothing to do with our current situation, and even admitting that it was bothering me gave it too much
power. We could talk about it later.”

–From Kelley Armstrong’s Frostbitten

 

The best part of having Elena Michaels narrate one of Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series is that I’m practically guaranteed a mention of pancakes. In Frostbitten (see my review here) I get two. I had a choice between the special blueberry pancakes and pumpkin pancakes and while blueberries are definitely still in season, I can’t turn down pumpkin.

I decided to leave off the smoked salmon because a) I like food but I don’t quite have a werewolf’s appetite (or that incredible metabolism), b) I sure as heck wasn’t going to smoke it myself so it would have been a pretty boring addition, and c) I’m on a budget. And even though I said I was going to make the farmers sausage, I decided to leave that out, too, because, again, not a werewolf and I’m pretty sure y’all know how to cook sausage. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I forgot to buy any at the store. Nope. Nothing to do with that at all.

So without further ado, I give you my Pumpkin Pancakes and White Chocolate Vanilla Latte:

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Pancakes

• 1 1/2 c. AP flour
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/8 tsp. cloves
• 1/8 tsp. cardamon
• 1 egg
• 3/4 c. milk
• 3/4 c. canned pumpkin
• 1/2 stick melted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Hazelnut Syrup

• 1/2 c. chopped hazenuts
• Maple Syrup
• Fresh whipped cream

Measure flour into a large bowl. If you want to be exactly like me, you’ll need to be sure to liberally sprinkle it on your cooking surface because you can never manage to actually pour something without getting it all over the place and also sprinkle flour all down your front. Then you need to look plaintively at the apron hanging on the hook next to you and wonder why the heck you didn’t put it on.

But only if you want to be exactly like me.

Don’t be like me.

Add the two tablespoons of sugar. For some reason I don’t have the same difficulties with sugar that I do with flour.

And the salt.

And the baking powder.

Then give it a stir. Just for kicks. Not because you forgot about the ten jars of spices on your table like I did.

Add all the spices and give it another stir. Go ahead and give it a big sniff. If it doesn’t smell like delicious fall, then you’re not doing it right. Or you have a stuffy nose. Or something.

Or maybe it just smelled like fall to me because at this point I was coated in a thin film of cinnamon…

I have issues.

Set the dry ingredients aside. We’ll come back to them but for now they need some alone time to get to know one another.

In a separate bowl crack an egg.

You have no idea how difficult this was with one hand. I felt like Audrey Hepburn during that cooking class in Sabrina. There was no way this was going to end well.

Step not shown to preserve the last shreds of my dignity: pick bits of shell out of egg.

Measure out the pumpkin. Splat it into the egg bowl. I like making things go splat. It pleases the five-year-old in me.

Measure out the milk and then pour it into the egg/pumpkin bowl.

Give it a stir and then remember the vanilla and melted butter.

Add those, too, and stir it again.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry.

And stir.

Switch to a whisk because you secretly love to wash dishes. Not.

Pour ladlefuls of batter into a hot, greased skillet. I highly recommend bacon fat if you have some on hand. If not, cooking spray, butter, or olive oil work fine. This would also be a lot easier if you have a griddle. My kitchen is the size of a postage stamp so no griddle for me.

At this point you let the pancakes cook on one side for a bit and then flip when they’re bubbly on the edges, press down, cook until bubbly on the wet edges, flip and let it cook on those outside edges again.

I did not take, and never will take, pictures of this process. Not by myself anyway. Flipping a pancake with all hands on deck is plenty of challenge on its own, thanks.

Set finished pancakes on a plate in a 250 degree oven to keep warm.

Next up: the Hazelnut Syrup.

This is completely optional.

Hazelnuts were on sale at my grocery store, but pecans or walnuts would work equally well.

Measure out about a 1/2 c. of hazelnuts.

Toast them on medium heat for no more than a minute.

Add the syrup. I said 3/4 c. above but use your best judgment on this one. Maybe more, maybe less. Take the pan off the heat and continue to stir for half a minute. Spoon over pancakes.

Serve immediately with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Makes about 6 six-inch pancakes.

White Chocolate Vanilla Latte

Ingredients:

• Espresso
• Milk
• 1/3 c. white chocolate chips
• 2 Tbs. sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Measure out white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.

Add sweetened condensed milk and then nuke the chocolate according to the package’s instructions.

Alternatively, you can also use a double boiler for this step or the poor man’s double boiler (a heat safe bowl balanced on top of a saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water brought to a simmer over low to medium heat).

Stir it up. It should be a pourable consistency. If it’s not, you can add some cream or milk to thin it.

Add vanilla and give it a stir

Measure out some milk. I poured cold milk into the mug I wanted to use, less the anticipated amount of espresso and foam, and dumped it in the pot. You know, in case you’re wondering why there’s no measurement listed in the ingredients section.

Froth it over medium heat. Obviously if you have a proper espresso maker with a steaming wand, you don’t need this and I kinda hate you.

I’m using my boyfriend’s Aeropress in these images.

It’s basically a syringe forcing the hot water through a filter at the bottom.

Low tech and decent coffee.

Also, since this doesn’t technically belong to me let’s just keep it between us that I borrowed it from the cabinet, okay?

Okay.

Coffee!

And dirty measuring spoons. Just thought I’d point that out.

Add the syrup.

And the frothy milk.

Stare in awe.

Try not to think about the wreckage in your sink.

Focus on the pumpkin. The hazelnuts. The decadent coffee confection.

Take a bite.

What wreckage? What sink? I know no sink.

Enjoy.

This recipe was inspired by Kelley Armstrong‘s Frostbitten, Book 10 in the Women of the Otherworld series. It is in no way endorsed by Kelley Armstrong.