Pancake Week #2 Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Cinnamon Ice Cream and Dark Chocolate Sauce

I'm sorry, did you want something plain to eat? Because you AIN'T gonna find it here, at least not this week!

There are a few combinations I go to over and over because I just can't get enough (love that song), and peanut-butter-and-chocolate is one of them. Here you have a delectably delicate tender-cake-like peanut butter pancake freckled and speckled with melty mini chocolate chips. I admit, I did not plan ahead enough to make the cinnamon ice cream (this time of year my freezer bowl is tucked away deep in the back of a cupboard), but we had vanilla and it was awesome and I can only imagine how amazing cinnamon would be. I know these seem kind of desserty, but remember they are pancakes, and pancakes can be for breakfast, lunch or dinner. More pancakes for dessert is optional.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Pancakes (print recipe)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
4 T unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (we used mini)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. In another bowl, beat the peanut butter and eggs with an electric mixer until softened and well combined. Gradually add the milk and melted butter, beating until well blended. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the dry ingredients, then gently fold in the chocolate chips.

2. If necessary, lightly oil your griddle. Preheat over medium heat (350F). If you will be holding pancakes to warm, preheat oven to 200F.

3. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter onto griddle for each pancake, allowing space for spreading and use a spatula or back of spoon to lightly press batter into rounds. When the undersides of pancakes are golden and the tops are speckled with bubbles that pop, flip the pancakes over with a wide spatula and cook until the other sides are light brown. Serve immediately or keep warm on an oven-proof plate in the warm oven. Serve with cinnamon or vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Makes about 16 pancakes.

Cinnamon Ice Cream
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 T cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. While the mixture is heating, use a whisk or an electric mixer to beat the egg yolks, sugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl until very thick.

2. Beating constantly, gradually add the hot milk and cream to the yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens, 2 to 5 minutes. The custard should coat the back of the spoon and leave a track when you run your finger through. Strain into a clean bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract and cool to room temperature.

3. Freeze the custard in the ice cream maker following manufacturer's instructions. Pack into a freezer container and freeze to firm and ripen. The ice cream should be ready to scoop in about 2 hours, but ti will keep in the freezer for 2 weeks. Makes 1 quart

Dark Chocolate Sauce
3 oz. best-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder, optional
Pinch of salt
1 T unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl or large measuring cup; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, mix the cream, milk, sugar, espresso powder, and salt together and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk into the chocolate until absolutely smooth. Whisk in the butter. Serve or cover and chill until needed. The sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks; warm before using.

Recipes from Pancakes: From Morning to Midnight by Dorie Greenspan