Delicious Sunday Morning Breakfast

        I was at Subway the other day, and while I was ordering my sandwich I decided to pick up a cookie for my little guy. He usually prefers the Chocolate Chunk, but they were all out of those, so instead I got him a White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie. He's not picky, a cookie's a cookie to him. But while he was eating it, I couldn't help but think how delicious macadamia nuts and white chocolate would be in a pancake.
    I searched the internet for a recipe that matched well to the idea that I had in my head. I couldn't find one, so I decided to blend two recipes together that I already had in my cookbook. One for a basic style pancake, and one for hazelnut waffles. Since it was Sunday, I broke out my newly modified recipe and all the ingredients. Together we set out to make the most delicious White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pancakes ever. They were such a hit. My little guy gobbled them back like it was the best thing he ever ate, and being the picky eater that he is, I took this as a sign.
    Typically, pancake recipes yield anywhere from 16-20 pancakes. I can't tell you how much pancake/waffle batter I tossed away, until a few years ago it donned on me to just cook up all the batter and freeze the pancakes for breakfasts during the rest of the week. Just pop the frozen pancake in the toaster as though it were an Eggo. In minutes, you have a delicious breakfast and you didn't waste anything.   
    When I freeze my left over pancakes/waffles, I take a baking sheet that I have fitted with a piece of wax paper and lay them out on top of it flat. I then take the baking sheet and place it in the freezer for up to three hours. Once the pancakes have frozen I place them into a resealable, freezer safe plastic bag. (By pre-freezing them in an individual layer, you keep the pancakes from sticking together and forming one big pancake lump).

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pancakes:

White Chocolate Macadamia
Nut Pancakes, with warm Maple Syrup

Ingredients:
2/3 cups raw/unsalted macadamia nuts
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbsp. canola oil or vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
vegetable oil or non-stick spray for pan
warm maple syrup and butter for serving

Directions:
(1) Heat a small pan over medium high heat. Place the macadamia nuts into the pan and toast them for about two minutes. Tossing and moving them constantly, being careful not to burn them. Once they have become fragrant and have begun to brown they are done.

(2) With a rotary grater, finely grind the macadamia nuts. (Or process them with 2 Tbsp. of  the flour in a food processor until they are finely ground.)

Leave a few chunks in the ground macadamia nuts.
They will add a nice texture to the pancakes.

(3) In a large bowl, whisk the macadamia nuts to loosen. Then in the same bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine.
(4) In a second bowl, whisk the milk, oil, butter/margarine, eggs and sugar until well combined. With a very open whisk, lightly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, until combined. Don't over mix, you want some small lumps to remain in the batter.

(5) Spray a pan with cooking oil, and pour pancake batter into the pan by 1/4cupfull's. Sprinkle each pancake with 5-6 white chocolate chips.
(6) When bubbles begin to appear in the batter, flip and continue cooking for another 45 seconds to a minute.
(7) Serve with warm maple syrup and butter if desired.

* This recipe yields 20 averaged sized pancakes.

You may also like:
Classic Buttermilk Pancakes
Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Apple Cinnamon Pancakes with Homemade Cinnamon Syrup