magic. cookie bar. pancakes.

i like a good challenge, so i thought i'd enter chocolate covered katie's pancake bonanza contest. you say you wanna know what's in the money shot above? that kids, is a close up of my very own creation: magic cookie bar pancakes. don't you remember the bake sales of your childhood? those dreamy gooey bars that brought on a sugary tsunami to your taste buds, the delectable squares of chocolatey goodness that made the recess aide curse your name because you were so dang hyper? well, maybe that was just me--but i loved these things.

so i used my vegan superpowers to make them into a breakfast treat. these were so awesomely sweet, after the first bite mr. wilford brimley appeared before me and demanded that i get checked for diabetes and buy my supplies online. the spouse loved these so much he wanted to divorce me and remarry the pancakes. i politely explained to him that a relationship of this nature wouldn't be recognized in most states and wouldn't work out in the long run because he'd eat the new bride. silly dude. i only allowed my son a few bites because it was 6:45 a.m. and i didn't feel like scraping him off the walls before work.

i know whatcher thinkin': no one should eat something this sweet for breakfast. look, i don't eat this way every day. and tell me, how much different is this from cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, or coffee cake? not that much different. that's why you need to cut the sugar overload with a nice black cup o' joe or a tall cold glass of your favorite non-dairy milk to wash it down.

so, are you up for the challenge? of course you are. here's the recipe. now go make 'em!

magic cookie bar pancakes (makes 4 nice sized pancakes)

you'll need:

a mixing bowl for dry and wet ingredients

dry ingredients:
1/2 c finely ground graham cracker crumbs (check for vegan brands)
1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
pinch of salt
3/4 c shredded coconut
1/2 c finely chopped pecans
1/2 c chocolate chips (kroger valu brand are cheap and vegan)

wet ingredients:
1 c soy milk +1/4 c water
2T canola oil
1t vanilla

the syrup:

• 2/3 c silk creamer
• 1/4 c turbinado (or organic sugar)
• baby rice cereal

to cook the syrup, heat the silk creamer, add sugar and whisk carefully under med/high heat. add 1 T of baby rice cereal at a time until you get a syrupy texture. you could probably use a smaller amount of corn starch if you desire, but i was lazy and used this instead. the syrup will look like cooked condensed milk.

mix wet and dry ingredients together. the batter will be pretty thick. using a 1/2 measuring cup, glob the batter on a non-stick pan or griddle on medium heat. cook one side for about 3 minutes then flip for another couple of minutes. serve lightly buttered with the syrup. note: you don't need a lot of the syrup, but the condensed milk like quality really ties the pancakes together.