Overnight Oatmeal Cinnamon Buttermilk Pancakes

OK, so the pancake fest continues over here. This time, I had my act together and decided to give Mel's overnight oatmeal cinnamon buttermilk pancakes a whirl. Here are my thoughts: they are really good. The texture is hearty and substantial. But here's the thing--they taste like French toast. Now, I like French toast a lot, but I don't think I want my pancakes to taste like it, ya know? If I wanted French toast, I'd make some. If you can't decide between pancakes and French toast, then this recipe will change your life. We did eat off this for 2 mornings, which was awesome, and made my kids really happy that we could have something 'special' on a regular old Thursday (and Friday). After some contemplation, I've decided that these pancakes really shine as dessert. Yep, DESSERT! Mel mentions spreading Nutella on them, and so, last night I decided to cook up the last 2 from the batter bowl, smother them with Nutella, and chase with a cold glass of milk before bed. Boo-yah. What a great way to end a day. These pancakes are dessert to me, and shall be served as such from here on out. Wouldn't it be fun to serve your dinner guests some hot dessert pancakes with Nutella the next time you entertain? Top 'em with freshly whipped cream, or better yet, a scoop of ice cream, and you'd make lots of friends.

Overnight Oatmeal Cinnamon Buttermilk Pancakes
-adapted from melskitchencafe.com

• 2 cups quick oatmeal, or rolled oats that you pulsed in a food processor to become the texture of quick oats (what I did)
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or just use white flour if you don't have any whole wheat, as I did)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I left it out. Not a nutmeg fan.)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla-
• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Prepare the batter the night before you want to make these. In a large bowl mix the oatmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the honey, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix until the batter is well-combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or mix it in a container with a lid) and refrigerate overnight. The next morning give the batter a good, quick stir to combine. It should be fairly thick. Heat an electric griddle or skillet on the stove top over medium-low. These pancakes need to cook for longer than traditional pancakes so you don't want the pan so hot they burn (I had some trouble with this at first. Keep your pan on low).  Drop 1/4 cup rounds of batter into the preheated griddle or skillet. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges are very set and bubbles are popping on the surface. Quickly slide a flat spatula underneath and flip the pancakes making sure they are set before flipping (I discovered that if they aren't ready to flip, they absolutely will not come off the bottom of the pan. Be patient). Cook for another minute or so until they are cooked through. Serve warm with desired pancake toppings.