Comfort food, part 2: Chocolate chip pancakes

Last night, while I was driving back to school after a visit to family in Buffalo, I hit a deer.  I've never hit a deer, and the facts that...


1. It was dark


2. I was all alone


3. I know almost nothing about cars


and 4. I definitely killed it, and I'm a vegetarian, so yeah


...didn't help.  I know, I'm lucky to be alive and I'm lucky my car isn't too damaged, but still.

The only damage.
There might be some deer brains in there.
I am upset.

I don't handle being upset very well.  I have a big, important bio test tomorrow and I haven't studied.  I'm a weepy hot mess.  I needed comfort food.  I needed chocolate chip pancakes.


I decided to make them from scratch, using this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

I made a few changes.  First, I added vanilla and a little bit of cinnamon for flavor (and, obviously, mini chocolate chips.)  I didn't have milk, so I used light vanilla silk.  That only really works in things like cakes and stuff, but it's usually delicious.  Also, the batter turned out very thick, so I added more silk until it was thin enough to pour into the pan.

I learned my pancake-making technique from my grandpa.  It is the best.

First, heat up your pan until margarine sizzles in it.  Make sure the bottom of the pan is coated.

Pour in the batter and wait until the bubbles are popping on top of the cake, like this--

You're gonna want to turn it early.  Don't.

Flip it, and wait until the other side is brown.

That's a good looking cake.

Put more margarine on the pan between each cake.  This is comfort food, not health food.

Sweet, sweet cholesterol.

I stack mine between two plates while I'm cooking, so that they stay hot.  I ate them with syrup and whipped cream.  It was tasty.

I keep forgetting to take pictures until after I start eating.

The pancakes were really fluffy and I could taste the vanilla.  The perfect comfort food.

Now, back to work.