CHOCOLATE PANCAKES WITH HOMEMADE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes with Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

Chocolate and caramel is a match made in heaven and makes for a special breakfast treat. The soft, light, fluffy, moist buttermilk pancakes are the perfect sponges for the sweet and lightly salted caramel sauce. Recipe may be doubled and extra pancakes can be frozen and reheated for busy mornings. Chocolate, it's what's for breakfast.

http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/06/chocolate-buttermilk-pancakes-with-homemade-salted-caramel-sauce.html

We liked these.  Used caramel sauce from Trader Joe's.  Yum!  Make a double batch!  Leftovers makes great PB sandwiches.

UPDATE: I have made the caramel sauce, but we actually like the other caramel syrup (http://lncookbook.blogspot.com/2010/11/syrup.html). 

YIELD: 10-12 small pancakes or 6 larger

PREP TIME: 5 mins for pancakes

COOK TIME: 5 mins for pancakes, 10 mins for caramel

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional
1 cup buttermilk , plus a splash more only if necessary
1 large egg
2 heaping tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salted Caramel Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

Note - If you don't want to make your own salted caramel sauce, Trader Joe's sells Fleur de Sel Salted Caramel Sauce, which I swear by. Williams-Sonoma has a Salted Caramel Sauce for four times the price of the Trader Joe's sauce.

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half (I use half and half)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons rum, optional

1/4 cup butter (half of 1 stick, salted or unsalted may be used)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste (or omit salt for regular caramel sauce)

DIRECTIONS:

1. For the Pancakes - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together first 8 dry ingredients (through optional salt); set aside.
2. In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together final 4 wet ingredients.
3. Add wet to dry, and fold gently to combine. Don't overmix; batter will be lumpy. It's a thick batter, but if it's too thick for your liking, add a splash of additional buttermilk to thin it.
4. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium heat.
5. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon that's been sprayed with cooking spray (helps batter to slide right off), place heaping 2-tablespoon mounds of batter in skillet. Cook pancakes on first side for about 3 minutes, flip and cook on second side for about 2 minutes, or until done. Repeat until all batter is gone, respraying both skillet and scoop with cooking spray as necessary.
6. Serve pancakes immediately with butter, syrup, or your favorite topping. If making the salted caramel sauce, place pancakes on a baking sheet and keep them in a preheated 250F oven while making the sauce so they stay warm. Pancakes can be wrapped or kept airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 4 months.
7. For the Salted Caramel Sauce - In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan with tall enough sides to accommodate the mixture when it starts bubbling, combine the sugar and water. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.
8. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil without stirring. Using caution, use a wet pastry brush or damp paper towel to wipe down any crystals that are clinging to the sides of the saucepan. Failure to remove them could result in a grainy sauce. Boil until the mixture is a deep amber color, about 5 to 6 minutes.
9. Remove the pan from the heat, and using caution, whisk in the cream. The mixture will bubble up vigorously.
10. Add the vanilla and optional rum. It will bubble again.
11. Stir in the butter and salt to taste; or omit salt for regular caramel sauce. If using table salt rather than Kosher salt, add less because it’s finer-grained and 1 teaspoon of table salt is much saltier tasting than 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt.
12. Transfer caramel to a glass or heatproof jar with a lid. Caramel sauce will keep airtight for many months in the refrigerator.