P-P-Pancakes (the extra p's are for p-pretzel)

Okay, okay, I know that there were promises of sea bass and melted leeks, but since I bought my ticket to France (Oh, yeah I'm going to France!), funds have been low. That said, I've been forced to try out slightly cheaper recipes. So, this week you'll have to be satisfied with Pretzel Encrusted Pancakes. FIRST, I need to point out that these were NOT my idea. I am neither that imaginative, nor that stoned. I was, however, very intrigued by them when a couple of my friends ordered them at The Bongo Room for brunch last weekend. At the time I went for the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Breakfast Burrito (and I was not disappointed), but I could not shake the idea of salty little nuggets of pretzel in my pancakes. So, instead of waiting for a couple of hours in the sub-zero Chicago weather, I opted to re-create them myself. The pancakes themselves are pretty straight forward, it was the accompanying white chocolate creme anglais and caramel sauce that presented the biggest challenges (It actually turned out not to be that challenging at all, especially since I cheated and bought caramel sauce. Oh, please--I'm so sure Bongo Room makes their own caramel sauce!). Aaaanyway, I made a batch for my parents, and fried up some bacon at my Dad's request--I don't think the pork made the beauty shots, though. Anyway, it was absolutely delicious, but I imagine this dish would be life altering after a night of hard drinking or ...ummm...other things. Anyway, pics and recipe below.

Pretzel Encrusted Pancakes With White Chocolate Creme Anglais and Caramel Sauce

CREME ANGLAIS

3/4 cups whole milk

3/4 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup finely chopped white chocolate

3 egg yolks

PANCAKES

2 cups flour

2 tbs baking soda

1 tsp iodized salt

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

2 tbs oil

2 cups crushed pretzel rods

2tbs sea salt

CREME ANGLAIS

1. Mix sugar and egg yolks together in mixing bowl until smooth and pale yellow
2. Heat milk and cream in sauce pan until simmering
3. Slowly whisk warm cream mixture into egg mixture until fully incorporated (don't add the cream too fast and don't let the cream get too hot, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs).
4. Pour egg and cream mixture back into sauce pan and stir with a wooden spoon until it passes the finger-spoon test.
5. Mix in the white chocolate until fully melted.
6. Pour into a clean bowl and refrigerate until needed.

PANCAKES

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients EXCEPT the pretzels and sea salt.
2. Whisk in eggs, milk and oil
3. Mix until smooth--NO LUMPS
4. Heat an oiled cast iron skillet on medium high
5. Using a 1/2 cup ladle, ladle batter into skillet
6. Immediately add pretzel pieces and a pinch of sea salt to the uncooked side of the pancake.
7. Flip after about 90 seconds
8. Repeat until all batter is gone.

Stack pancakes and spoon on a generous amount of creme anglais over the pancakes and crisscross with any store bought caramel sauce (Smucker's Sugar Free worked perfectly for me).