Carrot Cake Pancakes With Sweet Orange Cream

Entered for safe-keeping, adapted from Sydney Oland for Serious Eats. More at: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/12/carrot-cake-pancakes-with-sweet-orange-cream-recipe.html. Whenever I use an orange or lemon or lime, I first microplane the zest and freeze the zest for later use; then I don't have to buy an orange to make a recipe like this. Make sure your ground ginger is not stale, although it lasts 2-3 years if stored in a dark, dry space.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 16 pancakes

Ingredients

• ORANGE CREAM

• 4  ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3  tablespoons milk
• 1  teaspoon orange zest (from 1 orange)

• PANCAKES

• 1  cup all-purpose flour (~5 oz.)
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2  tablespoons pecans, chopped
• 1  egg, beaten
• 2  tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1  cup milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2  cups  grated carrots
• 4  tablespoons butter
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons pecans, chopped for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. ORANGE CREAM.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients and reserve until ready to serve.
3. PANCAKES.
4. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet in the oven.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons chopped pecans.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla.
7. Add about 1/3 of the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix just until combined. Repeat until all dry mixture has been incorporated.
8. Fold in carrots.
9. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
10. Add batter using a 1/4 cup scoop, fitting as many as desired as long as they don't touch.
11. When bubbles begin to form on the surface of the pancake, flip the pancake and continue to cook until pancakes have browned, about 3 minutes.
12. Set cooked pancakes on rack in rimmed baking sheet in oven while you cook remaining pancakes. Repeat from Step 9.
13. Serve pancakes with orange cream and additional pecans.