Magnolia Cafe: Gingerbread Pancakes

When you live in Austin, and you....overindulged...a bit the night before, you have two good options.  You can either go to one of the many breakfast taco places, or you can hit up a breakfast spot like Kerbey Lane or Magnolia Cafe.  Depending on my mood, I can go either way, but you can bet that I will always go for the gingerbread pancakes if I'm sitting in one of the latter.  These things are big, cakey, puffy masterpieces, especially smothered in syrup.

Gingerbread Pancakes
Adapted from Magnolia Cafe, Austin, TX

3 large eggs
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup water
½ cup fresh brewed coffee
2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix eggs and brown sugar until well combined. Add buttermilk, water and brewed coffee, and stir to combine. In another large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in the melted butter.

Grease a griddle or heavy skillet. Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat and then add the batter, by ladle-fulls. Cook until little bubbles appear around the edges of the pancake, and then flip. Cook on the second side until golden brown and cooked through in the middle. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings