PotW: Chocolate Pancakes with Mango and Chocolate Sauce, or Death in the morning by Chocolate

[last Pancakes of the Week: Apple-Ginger Pancakes with Warmed Blackberries]

This recipe started out about mangoes.  But, like many good things that happen in life, it ended up being all about chocolate.  Sorry, mango.

Allow me to elaborate.  One day, as I was researching spring fruits and vegetables, I was shocked to discover that mangoes are a spring fruit, according to one Bon Appetit page, which I haven't bothered to go back and dig up (so don't take my word for this).  It surprised me, because I'd never thought to associate mangoes with springtime, but it finally did explain to me the mysterious and sudden appearance of massive mango displays at the front of my local Whole Foods.  Anyways, since it's been my goal and challenge to try out as many seasonal flavors in pancake form as possible, mangoes sounded quite promising.  Especially so, because they immediately called out, "Pair me with chocolate pancakes!"  (yes, I'm one of those people who anthropomorphizes a lot.)  Chocolate pancakes!  yes!  I've been putting off chocolate pancakes since the beginning of this crazy pancake project I've been on, but suddenly, mangoes seemed the perfect companion with which to introduce chocolate pancakes.

And then, this is where it stops being about mangoes and starts being all about chocolate.  Here's an illustration.  The photo below to the left is what my original vision had been, when I first hatched this idea: plain and simple chocolate pancakes with slices of mango.

But was that enough for me?  Ah, no.  Let's double the chocolate.  Let's add chocolate syrup.  See picture above and to the right.  Ah, yes.  That's how it should be.  All about the chocolate.

I've been putting off chocolate pancakes for a while now, mainly because they were intimidating.  I didn't want to simply produce pancakes that were chocolate.  If I made chocolate pancakes, I wanted them to be CHOCOLATE pancakes.  Emphasis on the chocolate.  And, with some trial and error, these are most definitely it.  They're chocolate-ly, but not really sweet at all, and they taste like a cross between a dense, thick, and robust chocolate brownie, and a lighter chocolate cake.  The generous amounts of chocolate sauce also make these pancakes.  I don't think I would ever eat chocolate pancakes without chocolate sauce.  The sauce and pancakes were made for each other.

Poor little mangoes.  So side-lined by the chocolate, but I did very much appreciate having the mangoes, because they provided just enough sweetness and fruit to fill out the heavy, ever-so-slight bitterness of the cocoa in the pancakes.  And, they most definitely helped to allay my worries about not eating healthily: see, Mom?, there's a serving of fruit amidst the chocolate!

Unrelatedly and on a more personal note--since, this is, a blog after all, I finally finished this really big paper that I've been working on for my day job.  It's been hanging over my head for quite a while now, but at last, it's done!  The only things I have left to do are to orally defend the paper, and, provided that I pass the oral defense, make revisions and turn it in.  This is especially exciting for me because it's the last major requirement that I have to complete before I finally get to work 100% of the time on my own research for the Dissertation.  After three long years of jumping through hoops, fulfilling requirements, taking classes, writing papers, I am finally going to be able to do what I came to grad school to do!  It's all very awesome.

Ah, and celebrating with chocolate chocolate pancakes--and mango--wasn't too bad of a deal, either.

Here's a question for you all: how do you plan on using mangoes this spring?


Read on for recipe...

Blackberry Lemon Meringue Pie and the Amazing California Redwoods

It has taken me seven long hours to write this post about these delicious meyer lemons and fresh blackberries.

Okay, not really. But, it's taken at least a good, long five hours to upload all of the photos for this post, and that in and of itself was a tedious process.  Because, folks, this is where I am:

Okay, well not *technically* in the middle of the forest, but pretty darn close.  For the past few days, I've been visiting one of my favorite places on Earth, the Redwoods, and while the Redwoods themselves are undoubtedly gorgeous, the internet connection is as horrid as 1990's dial-up.  I have so many other pictures that I wanted to post, too, but, unfortunately, my patience could only handle uploading these few, so they'll have to wait for future posts when I return to the Land of Cable Internets.

But, I really shouldn't be complaining too much, because the Redwoods are downright gorgeous.

There are these ridiculously tall trees that make you crane your neck and stare upwards in wonder.  Walking among them, you really remember how small your place is in the world and that there are much, much larger things than us.

The Redwoods are also this incredible place because you can stand and face the Pacific Ocean on the most secluded beaches and then turn around to see hills upon hills of dense forest stretching out in front of you.

Then, on this trip, I discovered Fern Canyon, which I had never been to before:

Fern Canyon is this amazing stretch of canyon where all of the walls are covered in gorgeous ferns.  Apparently, we weren't here at the right time of year, though, to witness the height of Fern Canyon's majesty, but it was quite amazing as it was.  And for someone like me who really likes water, getting to Fern Canyon was super fun as well, since we had to pick our way up the canyon floor through the stream (thank goodness for water-proof hiking shoes!, though this didn't prevent water from flooding in around the ankles when the water got too deep) and climb under, over, and between the fallen wreckage of giant redwood trees.

Visiting the Redwoods again has been one of the best decisions that I've made in a while, and coming back North felt a lot like coming home, since my family used to take road trips to this area almost yearly when I was younger.  I remember always begging my dad to stop at the crooked Mystery House south of Eureka, and we would always make it a point to visit Samoa Cookhouse for a traditional logger's breakfast during our trips.  One of my earliest memories of the Redwoods was pulling over on the side of the road and picking wild blackberries with my grandpa, how prickly the bushes were but how sweet the fruit would be and how deep blue my fingers would be stained afterwards.  Which brings me to the food.

Blackberry lemon meringue pie.  These are by far not your ordinary lemon meringue pie.  First of all, the pastry crust is actually a tart crust rather than a pie crust, and it's infused with freshly grated meyer lemon zest, making the crusts taste like part of the lemon filling itself.  Then, inside, there's a dual combination of lemon curd and blackberry curd--finally, all topped off with a mountain of just-sweet-enough meringue.  I know you're dying for a look inside, right?

Now, if you've never had blackberry curd, you're so missing out.  It's like lemon curd, but almost better!  (I really adore lemon curd, so it's a hard judgement call to make. :-P)  The blackberry curd is sweet and packed full of deep and rich berry flavor, and I personally like to keep the seeds in as well since it mimics the berries in their original form.  Together with the lemon curd, the two curds make a refreshing, tart, yet sweet filling for the pie that *might* have you never looking at a simple lemon meringue pie the same way again.

The only sad part of this whole post is that I couldn't bring some of these blackberry lemon pies with me to the Redwoods and enjoy one all to myself in the middle of the forest... but, next time, right?  ;-)

Happy Spring, everyone!


Read on for the recipe...