Happy Birthday, Baby Blog!

     It's been one whole year since I started this blog.  I can't believe how far it's come!  I've "met" some wonderful bloggers (Wazzzup, ladies?!  Whoopwhoop!), found some really cool new ingredients (Dear Garlic Scapes, Will you marry me?), and learned a gob about photography (though, I've got at least three gobs more to learn).  I have also discovered that someone needs to invent a food blogger's thesaurus.  "Delicious," "tasty," and "wonderful" only cut it for so long...  I've got some exciting ideas for next year's posts (well, they're exciting to me, I hope you guys will like them, too!)

     And so, what does one have for breakfast on the frosty, chilly, cold, and blustery anniversary of one's food blog?  Why HOT CHOCOLATE PANCAKES, of course! 

This is a variation on my normal pancake base.  A yummy, delicious, fantastic, terrific variation...  It's also tasty and wonderful...  But the whipped cream is what really sells it.

Hot Chocolate Pancakes
2 C flour
1/4 C cocoa
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2eggs
2 tbs oil
1 1/2 Cups milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine all the dry ingredients.  Then add the wet ones.  Stir it all up and fry it in a pan, over medium heat, with a little oil.

Maple Syrup Whipped Cream
1/2 pint whipping cream
2 Tbs pure maple syrup

Add both to a bowl and beat with a mixer until whipped cream forms.  (If you over-beat, it will turn into butter which will be yummy, but not whipped cream...)

Review:
The pancakes are great.  A wonderful vessel for holding the cocoa.  And the whipped cream gives your mouth the warm, milky, feeling of hot chocolate.  I learned to drink my hot chocolate with cinnamon in Mexico (if you haven't tried it, you really should!) I think it works well in this, but you can omit it if you like.

Thanks for all your visits, guys!  I hope you've had as much fun as I have this year!