Homemade Wheat Pancakes with Chokecherry Jelly

When you’re a food blogger you tend to get food gifts from people. Not just for Christmas or your birthday, but for other reasons, too. Here—this made me think of you. Here—I think you should try this. Or in this case—Here, I have no idea what to use this for.

That’s how I came across chokecherry jelly from New Mexico. My co-worker, Frank likes to vacay in New Mexico while we’re on break. Recently, he bought a jar of chokecherry jelly and brought it home only to realize he wasn’t sure what to do with it. A few months went by and he decided to give it away—to me. Not a problem. I can find something to do with it, I told him. Then I told him if I were him, I would have made a stuffed grilled pork and drizzled the sauce over the meat (you know, if I ate meat). I could see the internal struggle on his face: Should I ask for the jelly back and make the pork? That sounds really good. But, alas, he had already given it away and he allowed me to keep this interesting gift.

Finally, this morning I prepared some wheat pancakes. A craving I rarely have, but, hey, everyone’s entitled to pancakes on occasion, I suppose. So, I whipped up these babies from Freckleberry Fit.

Then I realized I was completely out of maple syrup. How did that happen? I considered using molasses, but then I did a quick taste and decided that would be a bit much. I wasn’t about to run to the store before 7 a.m., so I kept digging through my pantry. Lo and behold, I finally rested my eyes on the chokecherry jelly. Well, I’ll give it a try, I thought. The consistency was already smooth and runny, so it was soaked up by the cakes immediately. I drenched the pancakes in it, as that’s the only way I eat them, and then I took a bite. Yum. That was just right.

So, in the rare chance someone went to New Mexico and gifted you with chokecherry jelly, no need to fret. Just make some pancakes, get your Urban Kitchen rose gold flatware and you are set!