German Chocolate Pancakes

I know, I know! You're thinking , "how can one make German Chocolate pancakes"? Oh, my friends, anything is possible, especially with trial and error! I am a HUGE fan of German Chocolate Cake, and since going vegan years ago, it's one of those desserts I have always missed, but, I thought to myself, "why can't I have my favorite dessert for breakfast"? With a bit of practice and lots of time spent in the kitchen, I think I came up with a most splendid and delicious recipe (well, the family gobbled them up anyway). Thus, no picture for this one as they went to quickly!

Ingredients:

Pancakes

• 1 tbsp lemon juice + enough nondairy milk to equal 1 cup (use soy milk or the lemon may not "curdle"). This will make a “buttermilk” that will give the pancakes a lift.
• 1 cup flour of choice (I used all-purpose)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbspsugar
• 1 tsp extract of choice (I used chocolate extract, but vanilla works well too)
• 2 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)

Coconut Pecan Sauce

• 1 cup coconut milk (from a can)
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• First, toast your pecans and coconut! Preheat oven to 350, put pecans on a baking sheet, toast for about 6 minutes, add coconut to the baking sheet and toast for another 2 minutes. Remove and chop pecans. Set aside. Turn down the oven to the lowest setting so you can use it to keep the pancakes warm as you make them.
• Now mix up the pancake batter! Add lemon juice and milk in a medium bowl and set aside for a few minutes to allow to "curdle".  In a large bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the extract, sugar and oil to the bowl with the milk and mix. Form a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet. Mix until just combined and set aside for a few minutes to give the baking soda time to work. This will give you nice and thick pancakes.
• In the meantime preheat a griddle or pan over medium heat and start the sauce. Combine the coconut milk, coconut flakes, chopped pecans and sweetener over low heat, stirring occasionally. You want it to get a little thicker but not too much so make sure and watch it! When it’s at it’s desired thickness take it off the heat and cover.
• When the pan is preheated spray cooking spray or put some oil in to prevent sticking and scoop 1/4 sized scoops of batter. It is really thick, so you will need to spread it with a spoon to get a pancake shape. This pancake doesn’t get bubble on the surface when it’s time to flip like others so flip when the edges start to look cook, about 5 min. Cook for another 2 min on the other side. Put finished pancakes in the oven to keep warm and repeat with remaining batter. I yielded about 6 pancakes using 1/4 cup scoops.
• Serve the pancakes in stacks – pancake, ladle of sauce, pancake, ladle of sauce, etc, just like a german chocolate cake! Drizzle maple syrup and garnish with additional coconut and pecans if desired!