Chocolate Pancakes

Why do I call these pancakes crepes? Because French crepes are typically made with milk, melted butter, and a significant amount of eggs. Crepes differ in taste from standard pancakes – they are softer, more tender, more elastic, and higher in calories, of course. But they are so delicious that it outweighs any diet concerns. So for chocolate crepes, I use actual chocolate, not the commonly used substitute – cocoa powder. Although a little cocoa powder is still added to the batter, the main chocolate flavor comes from the actual chocolate. As for which type of chocolate to use, that's up to you. I prefer to use dark chocolate, at least 70%. But if you don't like dark chocolate, you can use regular or even milk chocolate. The key is for the chocolate bar to not contain any additional ingredients (nuts, dried fruits, etc.). For the batter, we will need melted butter, which is why the ingredient list specifies the amount of melted butter in tablespoons (since it was measured after melting). But when I started making these pancakes often, I would just take a small piece of butter, knowing that 1 tablespoon of melted butter is approximately 20 grams of solid butter. Another detail in the ingredient list is the use of powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar. It's not the most crucial question, but using powdered sugar makes the batter more uniform. Those are all the nuances of choosing ingredients for this holy process. Let's get started.

First, we need to melt the butter. But since we will also need to melt the chocolate, I suggest combining these two processes into one. So, in a separate small dish, place the diced butter. Add pieces of chocolate. Then you can melt them using your preferred method. The best method is, without a doubt, a double boiler. But since I'm always in a hurry and never have time, I always melt them in the microwave. I simply place the dish with butter and chocolate in the microwave, set it to medium power, and heat for 2-3 minutes. After that, I stir the mixture and, if necessary, heat it a little more. Set aside the chocolate and butter mixture for now. Again, in the microwave, heat half of the milk (250 ml), without boiling it, just enough to reach the same temperature as the chocolate and butter mixture. Pour the warm milk into the melted chocolate and butter, mix well, and let it rest for a short while.

While the chocolate mass is cooling down, I combine all the dry ingredients for the recipe: flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa. I mix them well. Notice that I don't use any leavening agent or baking soda because the dough for pancakes turns out very fluffy without them.

Now let's prepare the eggs. For making crepe pancakes, we need to beat the eggs, not completely, just a little. A mixer, blender, or a regular whisk will work perfectly for this task. Pour the beaten eggs into the mixture of dry ingredients and gently stir. Add the cold milk and pour in the chocolate-milk-butter mixture. Mix the dough well. At first glance, it may seem too liquid, even for pancakes. Don't worry, the dough needs to rest. Ideally, for about two hours, but if you're short on time, one hour will suffice. During this time, the chocolate and butter will slightly thicken the dough. After the resting time, stir the pancake batter. If you notice any lumps, it's better to break them up or strain the prepared dough through a very fine sieve. Honestly, I've never done that before since we're cooking for our family, not for a culinary competition. Sometimes, there might be some pieces of chocolate that haven't dissolved or have already thickened into small lumps. Don't be discouraged by that. You can carefully mix the dough with a spoon until it becomes smooth. Alternatively, you can leave some soft chocolate pieces, they will add a unique sweet touch to the pancakes. Before cooking, I add a couple of spoons of vegetable oil to the batter. This is necessary so that you don't have to grease the pan while cooking, and the pancakes won't burn.

It's time to bake the pancakes. Heat up a frying pan and lightly grease it with vegetable oil before cooking the first pancake (I prefer using a silicone brush for this). Now, ladle a small amount of batter onto the pan and spread it evenly in circular motions over the entire surface of the pan. Cook the pancake on one side until the edges start to slightly dry out. Then, carefully flip the pancake to the other side. Cook for half the time compared to the first side. I usually slightly shake the pan: if the pancake moves easily, it means it's ready to be removed. It should be noted that it is very convenient to cook pancakes on a specialized pancake pan, as it has almost no edges. You know that the dry edges on pancakes occur because we unintentionally pour batter onto the edges of a pan that is not suitable for this purpose, resulting in them drying out. If you pour the batter precisely in the middle of the pan, the edges won't be dry. In any case, stack the cooked pancakes on top of each other, and there are two options (you can use both): either brush the edges of each pancake with butter or cover the pancakes with a plate to prevent them from drying out. With this amount of batter, you'll get about twenty large-sized pancakes. I'm sure your family will ask for more, so I suggest either doubling the recipe or increasing all the ingredients by one and a half times. These pancakes are very unique - black, unusual, but very, very delicious! They can be served with a sauce (slightly tangy - cranberry, cherry, or orange), or you can use them to make sweet rolls with bananas or cottage cheese. In general, there are plenty of serving options. I hope you will enjoy these unusual pancakes.