I would recommend making the cream cheese frosting first (you can do this in advance and refrigerate), then the maple syrup. While the syrup is sitting, do the pecans, then the pancakes.
Pancakes:
Ingredients:
1 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt (this is different than the course grain stuff that you grind)
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
3/4 c buttermilk (but you want about a cup in case the mixture is too thick and you need to thin it out)
1 c sour cream
1 tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract (or a little more, nothing tastes worse with a little extra vanilla) :)
3 tbsp melted butter, plus a little more for the pan
Instructions:
1. Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well (flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, sugar, cocoa powder).
2. Combine all the wet ingredients except butter in a different bowl and mix well. (egg, buttermilk, sour cream, red food coloring, vanilla).
3. While whisking the wet ingredients, stream in melted butter.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and whisk until fully combined and not lumpy.
5. Pour pancakes of desired size into the pan (about 1/4 c. each is normal). Let it set on one side, then flip and finish the other side. Repeat until pancake mix is gone.
Just a note, this recipe makes about 8 pancakes, so if you are serving a large group, it would be helpful to double or triple the recipe.
Recipe adapted from: www.kitchenkonfidence.com
Maple Syrup:
Ingredients:
1 c maple syrup
4 tablespoons whole bean dark roast coffee
Recipe adapted from: cookingclub.com
Instructions:
1. pour out 1 cup of maple syrup into saucepan
2. Add coffee
3. Over medium heat, bring to a boil.
4. Remove from heat and let stand for 15-30 minutes.
5. Strain syrup with strainer into bowl to remove beans.
6. Serve warm.
Candied Pecans:
Ingredients:
Pecan pieces (1 c or however much you want)
butter for the pan (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tsp. sugar
Instruction:
1. Put butter in a small pan over low-medium heat.
2. Let the pan heat for a minute or so and melt the butter.
3. Put in the pecans and stir until covered with butter.
4. After about two minutes of pecans toasting, sprinkle on sugar.
5. Remove from heat. Pecans should be a bit darker brown by the time they are done.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ingredients:
5 ounces unsalted butter
7 ounces cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla (again, or a bit more) :)
Instructions:
1. Beat the butter in a standing mixer until smooth.
2. Beat in the cream cheese with the butter and mix until smooth.
3. Reduce speed to low (because otherwise you will get sugar all over yourself) and mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. Once mixed a bit, you can increase speed back up to medium. Beat until smooth.
4. To decorate your pancakes, put the mixture in a ziplock back and cut of a small corner on the bottom (just one of the corners). Squeeze the ziplock and the frosting will come up (see melted hearts, above).
Enjoy!
