Rivalry Week Recipe #1—Chocolate and Cinnamon Spiced Pancakes

The big game is almost here—BYU vs. University of Utah.

For those of you not familiar with this rivalry, it's one of the biggest. Usually, I don't care that much for college football, but I do pay attention to this game. I am the advisor to the BYU Student Alumni, an amazing group of students. Each year the Student Alumni at BYU and the University of Utah have a competition the two weeks before the football game to see who can collect the most food and money for the local food banks. It's a great way to use the rivalry to generate donations, and in the end, it's the community that wins.

Before I get to the recipe, I thought I would share a video for the food drive made by the students. I am very impressed because it was made on a budget of basically zilch, or even less. I don't know if it's because I'm old, but I had never heard the phrase "cool beans." However, since watching this, I've begun to hear it quite a bit. For others not in the know, it basically means great, cool or awesome. So, enjoy! And, watch in the coming days when I will share a couple more videos that are cool beans. (That doesn't sound right. Ugh, I've turned into an old fogie.)

Now on to the recipe... I've decided this year to offer you, my adoring fans (all 23 of you), special rivalry week recipes leading up the game. I thought I would begin with a recipe I found on BYU Dining Services website for chocolate and cinnamon spiced pancakes. Not only did they sound yum, but November 18 is Pancake Day at BYU. Dining Services is serving all-you-can-eat pancakes all day all over campus for only $3. And best yet, proceeds go to the food drive. I love their slogan, "Flip a pancake; fill a pantry." If you are in the Provo area, I highly recommend you stop by campus for pancakes.

If you're not in the area, give these pancakes a try. And then, I ask you to please make a donation to the food drive by clicking here, or at least give to your local food bank. The food drive runs until November 27.

GO BYU!

I tested these out on the two pickiest eaters I know, my six year-old Tomas
and his friend Jeffrey. They gave the pancakes the thumbs up. But, I must 
confess, I'm the world's worst pancake flipper. Don't let the ugliness fool
you, these pancakes are mighty tasty.

Chocolate and Cinnamon Spiced Pancakes

from BYU Dining Services


Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
  
• 3 Tbsps. sugar
  
• 2 Tbsps. baking powder
  
• 2 tsps. baking soda
  
• 1 tsp. salt
  
• 2 tsps. pumpkin pie spice
  
• 4 cups buttermilk*
  
• ½ cup butter, melted
  
• 2 tsps. vanilla extract
  
• 4 eggs
  
• ½ cup chocolate chips
  
• ½ cup cinnamon chips**
  

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice together. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, butter, vanilla and eggs. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix. Do not over mix. Fold in chocolate and cinnamon chips. Cook on a warm griddle. Serve with your favorite syrup (cinnamon cream syrup is really good).

*Use real buttermilk and vanilla. Yes, it makes a difference.

**I had never noticed cinnamon chips before, but there they were at the local grocery store next to the chocolate chips. They're made by Hersheys. If you can't find them, no worries. Just use more chocolate chips.