Dessert for breakfast (part 1)

Over-the-top pancakes, waffles and French toast

I’m a firm believer that eating dessert in the morning – when you have the entire day ahead of you to work off those calories – is not only acceptable, but beats eating dessert before you go to bed (looking at you pint of Vanilla Swiss Almond Häagen-Dazs). Seriously is there a better time for dessert than breakfast? If you type “is it okay to eat dessert for breakfast” in your browser’s search bar, you’ll be rewarded with results that totally validate this decision. As much as I love something sweet in the morning with my coffee, I find it’s best to balance that sweet tooth with a savory protein. That’s why fried eggs go with pancakes (I confess that I’m a syrup and yolk mixer), sausage goes great with French toast and all that syrup, and it’s why someone decided to add bacon to maple bars. While grabbing a cookie with your coffee could do the trick, why not serve up some extra-decadent pancakes, waffles or French toast this holiday season?

Chocolate chip pumpkin pancakes with maple butter from Half Baked Harvest

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pancakes

When deciding to make Tieghan Gerard’s chocolate chip pumpkin pancakes,, it was the whipped maple butter that pushed me over the edge. You melt a 1:1 ratio of butter and real maple syrup on the stove and then whip it into a consistency that’s like the frosting on bakery-store maple bars. I halved the recipe for this and had a difficult time whipping such a small amount, so I’d start with 6 tablespoons. I think whipping softened (rather than melted) butter with the maple syrup could work just as well.

For the pancakes, you’ll need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs

4 tablespoons browned butter or melted butter 

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

I always use Libby’s pumpkin but I don’t think it really makes much difference. I’m definitely about browning the butter, because the only thing better than butter is browned butter. Mini Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips work well because they disperse themselves better throughout the pancake and don’t melt all over your grill. For the maple butter, I used Kerrygold Irish unsalted butter and added a generous pinch of kosher salt – enough to taste it! I was feeling festive so made some “butter pats” with a mini gingerbread man cutter. (You’ll need to chill the butter first so you can get the butter out of the cutter.) And don’t forget the whipped cream.

Gingerbread Waffles

Up next: gingerbread. Years ago I came across gingerbread waffles in a Rachel Ray 30-minute meals cookbook that took me back to the first gingerbread pancakes I’d ever had at Grateful Bread Bakery in Pacific City, Oregon (a top reason for visiting this coastal town).

What you’ll need to make Rachel Ray’s Gingerbread Waffles:

3 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

I make these once or twice every year during the holidays. They smell heavenly and are sure to beckon sleeping family members downstairs. They should be enjoyed with a hefty dollop of sweetened real whipped cream. (I’m not so much about adding syrup but if that’s your thing, go for it.) While these waffles actually have pumpkin puree in them, the 2 teaspoons of ginger and 1/2 cup molasses make them taste way more like gingerbread than pumpkin. I don’t think you’d know there was pumpkin in there, but hey, I’m all about getting that beta carotene in my breakfast.

Apple Fritter French Toast

Lazy mornings are great for leisurely making pancakes or waffles, however for those times when you have overnight guests you may not want an audience watching you in the morning. When I want something decadent (and easy) for house guests, I pick up a loaf of Apple Cinnamon Bread at The North Bend Bakery. They call it “an apple fritter baked into a loaf” which pretty much sums it up.

Apple Cinnamon Bread - you can almost taste it. (Photo credit: The North Bend Bakery)

Pick it up the day before. In the morning, slice it with a serrated knife and make to-die-for French toast with a pile of bacon or sausage on the side. If you don’t happen to have a bakery around the corner that makes a version of this apple bread and you feel ambitious, this recipe looks similar: Awesome Country Apple Fritter Bread . However the bread from my local bakery doesn’t have just a drizzle of icing on it. The entire loaf is glazed in old-fashioned-buttermilk-donut fashion, creating a sweet and crunchy coating over the entire loaf. Did I mention that it’s pretty much an apple fritter in a loaf pan? Yep.

And don’t worry, if these recipes are too much for breakfast — you can always save them for dessert.

Coming soon: Dessert for breakfast Part 2: Scones and pie (yep, pie)